In Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, players start the game with only one cow on their farm, but there is always room to breed more cows and grow a thriving, happy, and profitable livestock family. However, how to breed cows in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life isn't necessarily self-explanatory, and some players might also wonder how long breeding takes and what they can do to keep their cows healthy.
Cows are not only cute and beautiful animals to care for, but they often produce some of the most lucrative products for making money, like high-grade milk and even butter if players upgrade their farm. Players begin life on their farm with a female cow, so breeding cows must start from scratch. Although breeding cows takes time, it's not too tricky once players know how to.
How To Breed Cows In Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
To begin breeding cows in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, players must order a male cow to mate with their female cow through the 'Order Breeding' menu in the Ledger. There are two ways of doing this. Players can select the 'female cow' and then choose the male cow to order a fully grown city cow for £3750 in the 'Order Breeding' menu.
However, a cheaper strategy is to order the male cow in the 'Order Animal' menu priced at 2500G and then pair it with the female for no additional cost in the 'Order Breeding' menu after it arrives for a cheaper alternative. Although, players must wait a few days for it to mature. Breeding regular cows is a cost-effective starting point before players explore other breeds.
Once ordered, it can take around two in-game days for the new cow to arrive, with a cutscene triggering showing Takakura delivering the new arrival. Here, players choose their cow name and locate its feeding station in the barn.
Players should now feed and care for their cows as they would normally, using Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life's cow fodder until the young cow grows into an adult when soon after, a cutscene triggers indicating it's time for the cows to mate as the player waits outside the barn.
After a short cutscene, talk to the female cow and check the chalkboard regularly over the next few days to see if the cow breeding was successful. If so, a red bow with the word 'pregnant' shows on the cow's chalkboard.
Cow Health And Pregnant Cows In Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
It's now time to wait until the pregnant cow gives birth, which can take around 16 in-game days. If a cow becomes pregnant mid-summer, the mother won't give birth until approximately the beginning of Winter.
Caring for pregnant cows is similar to caring for regular cows, including brushing, feeding, and snuggling. Healthy cows also give better milk, like S-Tier milk. However, after a time, the pregnant cow's cheeks glow pink, and udders swell, making it impossible to milk the cow as usual, so players must wait until after the cow gives birth. These are visual signs the cow should be isolated and will soon give birth.
When the cow is almost ready to give birth, the nature sprites appear to help isolate the cow behind the fenced area in the barn. They do this if it's the first time players have bred a cow, but players will have to do this themselves with future cow breeding.
Continue to feed and brush the pregnant cow as usual, and talking to it reveals it will give birth in a few days after isolation. Players can monitor the cow's health by talking to the cow and checking its chalkboard stats.
Baby Cows In Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
In Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, baby cows are ready to be born after talking to the pregnant cow reveals it will give birth soon rather than in a few days. Almost immediately afterward, a cutscene triggers, showing the newborn calf next to the mother. Players must now care for the baby cow by giving it mother's milk.
To feed the baby cow, milk the mother cow, as usual, to get milk in a baby bottle. Show the mother's milk to the baby cow to feed it and monitor its health using the chalkboard. It will soon grow into a fully-grown cow, and the mother will need rest before breeding again. Players could also try breeding other types of cows, such as brown cows, ideal for produce like butter, but may need to upgrade the barn for additional animal and breeding space.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is available now on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.