Farming Simulator 22 Livestock Guide: Animals, Housing, Feed, Costs, and Profit

Crops are not the only way to make money in Farming Simulator 22. Livestock can create steady income through products such as honey, eggs, milk, manure, slurry, wool, and animal sales.

This guide covers the main productive animals, their housing, feed, costs, and which livestock are generally most profitable.

Livestock Overview

Most animals are bought through the in-game shop. Deer appear in the world but cannot be managed for profit, and dogs are pets rather than income sources.

The available animals include:

• Bees
• Chickens
• Cows
• Dogs
• Horses
• Pigs
• Sheep

This guide focuses on livestock and poultry that can produce goods or value. Horses are not covered because their main role is map mobility rather than farm production.

Bees

Bees are excellent for beginners because they do not need food or water. Buy the hive, place it, and let the bees quietly do their job. A rare livestock setup that does not ask for fifteen other machines is always welcome.

Beehive Costs

• Beehive, 1 Langstroth hive: $1,100
• Beehive, 4 Langstroth hives: $4,400
• Beehive, elongated: $6,600
• Beehive, 10 Langstroth hives: $12,500
• Beehive, 33 Langstroth hives: $19,000

Each beehive includes bees. You also need a honey pallet location, which automatically gathers honey. The source states that this location typically produces 1 unit of honey every 25 minutes for each beehive.

Bee Feed

Bees do not require food or water.

Chickens

Chickens come as hens and roosters. Only hens lay eggs. Roosters are optional and mainly decorative, and chickens do not need roosters to reproduce.

Chicken Costs

• Young Hen: $5
• 6-month-old Hen: $50
• Rooster: $5

Chicken Housing

• Pasture: Holds 30 chickens and costs $6,000.
• Coop: Holds 360 chickens and costs $79,000.

Chicken Feed

Chickens eat harvested wheat, barley, or sorghum. You can also buy chicken feed from the shop under Big Bags.

Cows

Cows are valuable because they can produce milk and other resources, depending on housing. The source identifies Brown-Swiss and Holstein as milk-producing breeds, while Angus and Limousin are generally used for breeding.

Cow Costs

• Young Brown-Swiss: $200
• Brown-Swiss, 12 months: $1,100
• Brown-Swiss, 18 months: $1,550
• Young Holstein: $200
• Holstein, 12 months: $1,100
• Holstein, 18 months: $1,550
• Young Angus: $300
• Angus, 12 months: $1,150
• Angus, 18 months: $1,575
• Young Limousin: $300
• Limousin, 12 months: $1,150
• Limousin, 18 months: $1,575

Cow Housing

• Pasture: Holds 15 cows and costs $75,000. Requires food and water, and produces milk.
• Barn: Holds 45 cows and costs $254,000. Requires food, and produces manure, milk, and slurry.
• Large barn: Holds 80 cows and costs $518,000. Requires food, and produces manure, milk, and slurry.
• Barn with robot: Holds 80 cows and costs $722,500. Requires food, produces manure, milk, and slurry, and removes the need for a Mixer Wagon delivery thanks to robots.

Cow Feed

Cows eat grass, hay, or total mixed ration, also called TMR. Grass gives 40% productivity, hay gives 80%, and TMR gives 100%.

To make TMR, mix hay, silage, and mineral feed in a Mixer Wagon, with straw used as filler.

Pigs

Pigs can be profitable, but they are more demanding because they need several crop categories for full productivity. Some players breed pigs and sell adults once they mature. Breeding requires 100% health.

Pig Costs

All pig breeds share the same pricing:

• 0-month-old pig: $200
• 6-month-old pig: $525

Vanilla breeds include Berkshire, German Landrace, and Bentheim Black Pied.

Pig Housing

• Pasture: Holds 30 pigs and costs $28,000.
• Standard pigsty: Holds 108 pigs and costs $109,000.
• Large pigsty: Holds 270 pigs and costs $164,000.

Pig Feed

Pigs use several food groups:

• Base: Corn or sorghum for 50% productivity
• Grain: Wheat or barley for 25% productivity
• Protein: Canola, soybean, or sunflower for 20% productivity
• Root crop: Potato or sugar beet for 5% productivity

You do not need a Mixing Wagon. Unload the feeds into the pigsty area. If that sounds like too much crop juggling, buy pig feed from the shop instead.

Sheep

Sheep produce wool and can also be sold for profit. Available breeds include Bentheim, Stenschaf, Black Welsh Mountain, and Swiss Black-Brown Mountain. Breed does not change production behavior.

Sheep can sell for up to $1,000 at 36 months old.

Sheep Costs

• 0-month-old sheep: $200
• 8-month-old sheep: $488

Sheep Housing

Sheep need food and water in all housing types.

• Pasture: Holds 15 sheep and costs $26,000.
• Barn: Holds 25 sheep and costs $51,000.
• Large barn: Holds 65 sheep and costs $97,000.

Sheep Feed

Sheep eat grass or hay. Both food options provide the same productivity.

Notes on Animal Costs

Prices in this guide use USD, but the values stay the same regardless of the currency displayed by the game. Placement prices can change if the land needs leveling.

Buying animals with instant delivery adds transport fees. Picking them up manually removes the fee but takes more time.

To check livestock status, open the menu with Escape by default on PC and select the Animals tab.

Most Profitable Livestock

Cows are generally the most profitable livestock because they can generate strong returns from milk and cattle sales. Newborn cows can also be sold for a useful amount.

Pigs are next because adult pigs can sell for solid profit, although their feed needs are more involved.

Sheep follow closely thanks to wool production and low care requirements.

Bees are useful because they only require upfront cost and no upkeep.

Chickens are the least profitable in this ranking. They are cheap and simple, but egg income is small compared with the larger livestock options.

Choosing Livestock for Your Farm

For a first animal setup, start with livestock that matches your equipment and crop plan. Chickens pair well with wheat, barley, or sorghum fields because their feed is simple. Bees are even easier because they only need hive placement and a pallet location. Sheep are a good middle step if you can supply grass or hay and water.

Cows and pigs are better once the farm has more money and equipment. Cows need stronger housing investment and benefit from TMR, while pigs need several crop categories for best productivity. Buying animals through instant delivery is convenient, but manual pickup avoids delivery fees. That difference matters early, especially when every purchase competes with tractors, tools, seed, and land.