Mithrandir228

Same. I've read up on this plenty before embarking on animal breeding. I built a farm, trying to make it as natural looking as possible, winding path fences with animal and tree fields either side, instead of square flat boxes everywhere. I'm not too bothered about bears or wolves, since I kill all I find, and I'm constantly expanding the farm, so it'll eventually get a 4 high wall around it with mechanised gate. Unless I'm mistaken, and anyone here can point to bears and wolves respawning in the area inside land you think is safe, not the wild. Someone mentioned in a comment I read, that putting wooden paths down either side of fences prevents snow from building up, so animals won't be able to climb out. I've done that and it works great, and 2 generations in to my pig breeding I had no escapes, ......until my third winter, when I've now found 4 gen 2 sows, and 2 gen 3 piglets roaming round my oak tree field, and just now a gen 3 boar in my redwood field, both of which border the back of the pig pen. It must be chunks not loading as LadyWYT says, same problem that Minecraft encounters. I guess that means I'm going to have to move the pig pen when the snow thaws out. Build a number of much smaller pigsties that are self contained within each chunk. Then if only 1 or two load it doesn't matter, there's no gap in the wall. That is really annoying though, it kills any immersion and role play. (Edit) Just for a pointer, does anyone know if it makes any difference if you use rough hewn fences or proper fences? I doubt it, but it's worth asking anyway.

Yes, same. My first winter I was still very ignorant and new, very badly prepared, read up on winter and was terrified I'd not make it, only just dug deep down into the earth and built a cellar by late September from salvaged cobblestone I took from a ruin. The cellar opened out into the cold, and I had no idea how to smelt things beyond moulds, so I had no access to a saw or planks, just plugged the door at the base of the cellar with two tree trunk blocks. I filled in the hole I'd dug to make it, covering it over with soil till only the stairs were open, then built a primitive hut with a curved roof made of cob next to it. Placed a pit fire inside and kept it constantly stocked with a full stack of charcoal constantly burning. I desperately searched for every mushroom, every berry bush, began desperately slaying boars and cooking up meat and veg stews. As the whether got colder all my food lasted longer, the fire kept me warm despite the snow and no front door. I had more than enough food left over till spring as it got warmer, and then everything promptly rotted. I never suffocated despite having no chimney, staying inside and sleeping over and over, and having the door blocked with packed earth.