Animals

[Jihn]

if we need to catch animals to breed, we need some wat to lead then back into a pen. to set them up so they can be feed and bred. This would make it easier to accomplish the goal.  

[River Oak]

I'd like to see someone try to halter and lead a wild animal

[LadyWYT]

Welcome to the game and forums!

57 minutes ago, Jihn said:

if we need to catch animals to breed, we need some wat to lead then back into a pen. to set them up so they can be feed and bred.

There are already ways to do this in the game, though some are still very much being worked on. The general method is to catch the babies in a trap and transport them to the pen in question. You can also place a trough with food in a pen to lure in the adults, or herd the adult animals into the pen since most animals will run away if you get too close.

Rope can also be used to lead animals around, however, it's important to note a couple of things:

1. Ropes are still very buggy when used as leads for animals, so trying to use one in this fashion can easily create more problems than it solves.

2. If I'm not mistaken, only semi-tame animals are meant to be lead around via a rope, presumably to reflect that the animals are wild and thus require the player to put some effort into actually taming the animals before having livestock that can be easily managed. Most wild animals also get defensive when the player comes too close, so trying to rope and lead one is also going to be quite dangerous.

[Dilan Rona]

Depends on the animal you want to catch. Even wild ones.
Pigs you can generally herd in the general direction you want, but you do need to keep your distance, if they chase you, use that to your advantage and get them to chase you to the last point.
Mouflon and bighorns there is only one way. Aggro them so they chase you, then run to where you need them. They will be hot on your tail, and mad like hornets stuck in their bonnet.
Goats will need you to run after them and you need to try and steer them in the direction you want.

Guaranteed method for me is long trenches, with doors seperating sections. And making sure each section is one way only. Then it's a simple matter of chasing the animals into the trenches, and from there its chasing them into the fenced of area.

[Dilan Rona]

This for example is what I did on my Ranch on the server I am on.

[LadyWYT]

47 minutes ago, Dilan Rona said:

Mouflon and bighorns there is only one way. Aggro them so they chase you, then run to where you need them.

This is no longer true. Yes, you can capture them this way, however, it's dangerous since sheep hit rather hard and are quite fast. It's not necessary to get them to chase you though, since they will begin to move away on their own if you start to get too close. The same holds true for pigs as well--start getting too close, and they will move away. This behavior makes them quite easy to herd without too much risk to yourself.

Animals that are already tamed can be picked up in reed chests and moved as needed, provided they are babies(or otherwise small enough to fit in said chest) and at least generation 5(or tame enough to no longer flee from the player, not sure).

[Dilan Rona]

the mouflon i managed to get i had to herd with underground runs to the farm, and i had to aggro them to get them to chase me (cue death animations*7). very much dangerous, i agree. Then again, i'm sitting with a very substantial farm with a mix of different goats, bighorns and mouflon, and pigs.

[SnapJelly]

On 8/1/2026 at 11:11 PM, Jihn said:

we need some wat to lead then back into a pen

You can kinda do that with most of them already, just chase them into a corner

[Sunny_Sometimes]

On 8/1/2026 at 7:11 PM, Jihn said:

if we need to catch animals to breed, we need some wat to lead then back into a pen. to set them up so they can be feed and bred. This would make it easier to accomplish the goal.  

Aside from the herding and basket traps that have already been described, you can also throw food (grain, vegetables, hay, etc.) on the ground or into a trough to attract them toward a specific location. The handbook lists which kinds of animals a particular food can be fed to.

 

On 8/1/2026 at 10:17 PM, Dilan Rona said:

Mouflon and bighorns there is only one way. Aggro them so they chase you, then run to where you need them. They will be hot on your tail, and mad like hornets stuck in their bonnet.
Goats will need you to run after them and you need to try and steer them in the direction you want.

Mouflon can be herded much more easily than goats (and most other animals), in my experience. Haven't tried with bighorn. Goats will panic and run away from you at the slightest provocation. If you approach mouflon slowly, they will move slowly.

While outside of their response range, position yourself such that you are directly opposite from the direction you want the animal(s) to move. Then slowly walk toward it until it huffs and starts walking away. Follow slowly at a distance, strafing left and right to gently steer it in the opposite direction. Stopping and waiting to see where it goes is always better than chasing too quickly. For sharper direction changes or if it veers too far off-course, back away and re-approach from a new direction. If at any point the animal starts moving with more speed or agitation, slow down/stop and wait a few seconds for it to calm down. Deliberately spooking a mouflon can be useful in some situations, such as to separate it from the rest of the flock, but should only be done with specific intent.

For shepherding them into a pen, a funnel can be helpful, as shown in the image below.

[Sunny_Sometimes]

It feels like a slightly silly analogy, but herding sheep is almost like a slow-mo version of billiards (with balls that occasionally move on their own).