In RimWorld, managing your animals efficiently is essential for maintaining a thriving colony. One of the most important aspects of animal management is creating secure enclosures or pens to keep your livestock safe, organized, and productive. Enclosing pens not only protects your animals from predators but also helps control their grazing areas and movement, which can impact farming and resource gathering. Knowing how to properly enclose pens and optimize their layout can greatly enhance your colony’s sustainability and defense against threats.
Understanding the Purpose of Enclosing Pens in RimWorld
Animal Safety and Predator Protection
Enclosed pens act as a barrier against wild animals and raiders that may attack your livestock. By enclosing your animals, you reduce the chances of losing valuable resources and prevent injuries that could affect your colony’s food supply or trading capabilities. Pens also help keep your animals from wandering into dangerous areas like toxic fallout zones or hostile environments.
Grazing Management and Resource Efficiency
Enclosures allow you to control where your animals graze, which helps preserve pastures and prevent overgrazing. When animals have access to designated grazing areas, the grass regrows more quickly, maintaining a steady food supply. Proper pen management ensures your colony’s animals remain healthy and productive without exhausting nearby resources.
Basic Steps to Enclose a Pen
Choosing the Location
Selecting the right location for your pen is the first crucial step. Ideally, pens should be placed close to your main base or barn to facilitate easy feeding and management. Avoid placing pens near hostile animal territories or raider pathways to reduce risk. Also, consider terrain features flat areas are easier to build on, while natural barriers like cliffs or rivers can help reduce the amount of wall construction required.
Gathering Materials
Materials needed for enclosure vary depending on the type of walls you choose to build. Common options include wood, stone blocks, or metal. Wood is easiest to gather early on but is less durable and more flammable. Stone provides excellent defense and durability but requires mining. Metal walls offer great durability but are resource-intensive. Make your choice based on your available resources and the threats your colony faces.
Building Walls and Doors
Use the architect menu to select wall building and start enclosing the perimeter of your pen. Ensure walls are continuous without gaps to prevent animals or predators from escaping or entering. Include at least one door to allow colonists to access the pen for feeding, cleaning, or animal training. Placing a double door or multiple doors can speed up access, especially for larger pens.
Advanced Tips for Effective Pen Enclosures
Utilize Natural Terrain
Incorporate cliffs, rivers, or mountains into your pen design to minimize the number of walls needed. This reduces construction time and material costs while increasing the natural security of the pen. Using terrain features can also funnel animals into specific areas for easier management.
Designate Pen Zones
RimWorld allows you to designate zones for different purposes. Mark your enclosed area as a ‘pen’ or ‘animal area’ to restrict animal movement and keep them contained. This helps prevent animals from wandering off and simplifies their daily routines like feeding and sleeping.
Fence vs. Walls
Fences can be used for quick, temporary enclosures or to segment larger pens into smaller areas. While fences do not provide as much defense as solid walls, they are easier to build and cost fewer resources. Use fences to create subdivisions within pens or as perimeter boundaries to direct animal movement.
Doors and Animal Gates
Doors allow colonists easy entry but can be a weak point for predator intrusion if left open. Consider using animal gates or multiple door points to control traffic flow. Some mods introduce special gates designed specifically for animal enclosures, which can improve security and convenience.
Maintaining Your Enclosed Pens
Regular Repairs
Walls and fences may degrade over time due to weather, animal damage, or raider attacks. Assign colonists to regularly inspect and repair enclosures to keep them intact. Neglected pens risk breaches that allow animals to escape or predators to enter.
Cleaning and Hygiene
Animal pens tend to accumulate manure, which can reduce animal happiness and attract pests. Designate colonists to clean pens frequently to maintain a healthy environment. This also prevents the spread of diseases within your colony.
Expansion and Reorganization
As your colony grows, you may need to expand existing pens or build new ones for different animal types. Different animals have varying space requirements and behavior, so organize pens accordingly. For example, carnivores may need separate enclosures from herbivores to prevent conflicts.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Enclosing Pens
Incomplete Walls or Gaps
Leaving even a single tile open can cause animals to escape or predators to invade. Always double-check your pen perimeter for any gaps or missing walls before designating it as a pen zone.
Poor Door Placement
Placing doors in awkward positions can make pen access inconvenient for colonists and may disrupt animal movement. Plan door locations strategically to balance ease of access with security.
Ignoring Terrain Obstacles
Failing to consider terrain may result in inefficient pen layouts requiring excessive construction. Use the map’s natural features to your advantage to save resources and time.
Benefits of Well-Enclosed Pens
- Improved animal safety from predators and environmental hazards
- Better control over grazing and pasture health
- Increased efficiency in animal-related tasks like feeding, breeding, and training
- Enhanced colony defense by reducing livestock losses
- More immersive and organized colony management experience
Enclosing pens in RimWorld is an essential aspect of animal husbandry that can significantly influence the success and growth of your colony. By carefully selecting locations, using the right materials, and incorporating natural terrain features, you can build effective enclosures that protect your animals and maximize resource efficiency. Maintaining your pens through repairs and cleaning ensures their longevity and helps keep your colony running smoothly. Avoid common pitfalls by planning your pen layout thoroughly and consider advanced strategies like zoning and fence segmentation for optimal results. With well-enclosed pens, your colony’s livestock will thrive, contributing to a sustainable and prosperous RimWorld settlement.