Different approach to animal "feeds"

I know you just had a poll on whether people wanted animals for feeding other animals. The majority, apparently voted "no". I am thinking that at least part of the problem may be the whole idea of "milling" animals. Maybe, if there were a different mechanism -- perhaps feeding the animals directly or maybe even some kind of small mini game, folks would not be so adverse.

Also, maybe if the "animals" were insects, like ants.

the other issue is "turnaround"/ratios. Many of the feed crops can be produced fairly quickly. If there were an animal that had more than a few with also a quick turnaround, it would be OK.

 

Hi woody! I respect your viewpoint - but I am one who voted No...for many reasons beyond just personal objections. Economics plays a huge role!
I have Anaconda pens that never see the light of day unless for an FSQ, and then it's back to the barn!! Today I listed rabbits for just over $1500 CC's ea....and that was on the 'cheap' first page!! Add to that all the time and feed and space it takes to grow each animal, etc etc.....it makes the use of animals for feed too costly, as well as ....errr...gross (imho)!! And I hadn't even thought about milling them into feed!
I do not want to use my animals to drive up the cost of other animals. I want to sell the animals that I go to all the trouble to grow, and to devote space and cc's to.

This is a game. Animals could eat grass, for that matter - just as they actually did before the Flood of Noah's day. (Yep - it's actually in There - you know...the Book I can't mention) Or candy clouds, or sugar flowers, etc. The point is this is just a game for fun - they don't have to eat each other - and it's bad for our 'bottom lines'.

*I like your idea of insects like ants (for the anteater maybe) as long as they could be grown/gotten for free, or almost free (because there are always ants and insects on a farm, for free!! And that's 'reality'! Lol!)

*Perhaps we could buy/earn/build an anthill...and it would spill forth ants free, or almost free, from then on, by means of an on/off button to control the # of ants, or when they would appear etc. Maybe feed the anthill 1 honey every 24 hrs....or something similar.

 

It is a game and I thought it would be like pick your poison, make believe yogi bear and the picnic baskets or tigger sitt'in down to a steak dinner all cut on a plate.

I like the fact the snake eats real, keeps a what 1:15h and a little over 6 h. basic beasts in a higher for your buck by making 7 hours work into 3 thousand market item. Right now snake food going for 6 grand so nice return on beginner animals.

I love the idea I can never make enough chickens to have them come back from the market. I've had crops come back left and right, I think due to goodies make crop growing a half the effort for some but full wait time for newer people,but with a market that does both grow crops and feed the meat need keeps it even.

I think food cubes game would be nice just a coloured cube you have to donate like lettuce to get and they count for half a real feed, or just a repeating game to earn them.

Feeding ants <insects> is ok but no meat from thumper? cool, make the butterflies <also insect> go into the mill!
I think it should be more even, more snake like feeds that helps other areas 1st two available animals for beginners earn money in more than one way and we as the players can pick not to do the ones that are not fun to our liking. But have a choice, food cubes or butterfly milling pick your poison.

 

I, too appreciate your points. Prices for everything have been going up, particularly rabbits. However, one of the main reasons IS precisely that folks want them for feed. If that were not the case, the price would be much lower. Ironically, I would say that is actually an argument for more animals as feed. I can harvest 6 chickens in the time and space it takes to grow 4 blueberries and my profit is much higher. Granted, I often cannot harvest that often, but even a couple of extra harvests make chickens are much more cost effective item than blueberries. Take into account that many of us have chicken upgrades ( Neons yield 4 chickens every 3 hours), and chickens are really far more productive AND profitable than most crops. Plus, I don't have to worry about weeds (now a concern since I no longer have premium).

Any new animal could be scaled with a production rate that matches crops. The time can be as short as they wish. Also, I don't see a reason why each pen has to produce just one animal. Many of the newer animal pens have a much shorter maturation rate than some regular pens. There already is adjustment in some workshops. If a workshop can require 3 or more animals, why not a base pen that produces more than one animal, particularly if its not one that will get an upgrade.

A FUN idea. Having them free would screw with farm economics, make anteater prices drop for one thing. Feeding them honey is not a bad idea, though aside from honey trees (which I don't think are available outside of G & T any longer) honey, being a product is actually very "expensive" to make.

 

This surge in rabbit prices is relatively recent and cannot be explained as anaconda feed, as anacondas have been around for a long time now without the surge currently in effect. Chickens and rabbits have been around since the beginning of this game and worked fine, long before anacondas. The market would again readjust to this, so I wouldn't say it was a reason to feed them to other animals, although their prices would adjust somewhat lower. And there are still many people who object to feeding animals to animals, as the vote confirmed.
I think you are right woody, that the ants should not be free. Perhaps that on/off button could add a small 1-5 CC charge, or whatever is appropriate, each time it is used. But there would be NO Milling for this feed! Yaaaay!! Honey also comes from the under-utilized Apiary...which is available to everyone...as well as honey trees. And the more I think about it...yes, they could be fun, couldn't they!

(And I think they should have a Mascot called "Woody, the Ant", in honor of your suggestion that they be used!! Oh - the possibilities of ants!!) And they're cute, too.

 

Everything in the market has skyrocketed, not just animals