Hay Hopper

Hay Hopper
Provides convenient access to silo fodder.
Information
Previous Tier:	N/A
Next Tier:	N/A
Cost:	N/A

The Hay Hopper is a tool that is provided as a standard item in Barns and Coops when those buildings are constructed. It cannot be picked up or moved. Its purpose is to move hay between a silo and the player's inventory (backpack).

Its commonest use is to access the hay for distribution as food in a barn or a coop. The hay in the inventory is then ordinarily placed on the Feeding Bench in the building, where the animals can access it for feeding.

If the player buys hay or otherwise acquires some (by gift, for example), and uses the hopper while holding the hay, the hay moves from inventory into storage (a silo), as long as there is enough capacity there. Hay can move in either direction.

Tip

The hopper in a Deluxe Barn or Deluxe Coop has an automatic feeder attached so that hay is moved into the Feeding Bench whenever the bench is not full, relieving the player of this manual task. However, the automatic feeder also prevents the player from withdrawing hay from the hopper, as the hopper only releases hay if there is space on the feeding bench. Deposits are still possible because the hay goes into the silo(s). If you wish to withdraw hay into inventory (to gather hay for storage in a chest, for example), you must have at least one hopper in a building that is not fully upgraded. Keeping a hay supply in this way makes it possible to run the farm with fewer silos because the chest acts as a manually-controlled backup storage.