Proper breeding of cows and sheep in RUST

1. Buy a livestock seller from an NPC on a ranch or in a large barn.
Calf - 300 scraps
Lamb - 150 scraps
You choose the gender yourself, the genetics are random. And the animals themselves are already tamed and on a leash.

2. Catch wild ones (mostly in open meadows)
You need to gain trust by standing nearby (~20m)
Know - Tolerated (males stop attacking) - Bonded (can be led, milked/sheared, bred) - Herd.
You can lead several on a leash at once. Don't hit the animals, because of this you lose their trust.

It’s better to raise them on grassy land; for this, you’ll need to install a fence for the animals and gates.
The animals need 3 things:
1. Food — they graze on grass (radius ~25 m). After 2 eatings, the area becomes empty for 30 minutes. Or place potatoes, pumpkins, corn, bread, wheat, apples, berries, etc. (maximum 80 % satiety from the trough).
2. Water — fresh water (river/lake) or provide drinking containers.
3. Personal space — comfortable for up to ~8 animals within a 20‑meter radius. At 9+ animals, the animals’ performance starts to decline. Don’t crowd them too closely.
If their condition deteriorates significantly, they may die. For breeding, you need Overall ~0.7.

Adult male (bull / ram) + adult female nearby.
Both are in good condition.
The female becomes pregnant (~10 minutes).
After giving birth, the female has a period of estrus (depending on the Fertility gene: if it’s Good — about 41 minutes, if it’s Ok — about 66 minutes).
The male has a period of estrus for about 10 minutes.
The offspring grow for about 54–66 minutes until they reach adulthood.
Important: avoid inbreeding (look at the blood markers next to the genes) — the genes work less effectively.

Each animal has 5 genes, and each gene has 2 copies (the best one is expressed):
D (Dung) — dung speed.
L (Longevity) — lifespan.
Y (Yield) — quantity and frequency of milk / wool.
F (Fertility) — reproduction rate + litter size.
H (Hardiness) — resistance to adverse conditions.
• The child receives one random copy of each gene from the mother and the father.
• The goal in reproduction is to obtain all the good genes.

Cows:
• Milk — approach the udder and milk (depends on the Y gene).
• You can drink it or put it in the refrigerator for 4 hours; after that, the milk will have the interaction option — Skim; when you skim, you get two items: Skimmed milk (skimmed milk) and Cream (cream). They enhance teas and pies.
• Manure, meat, skin, and bones.
Sheep:
• Wool — shear with a knife by zones (sides + neck/head). A repeated strike on an already sheared zone causes damage.
• Manure, meat, skin, and bones.

Take the adult animal to the ranch or to the large barn to the NPC who is standing outside by the stables.
The offer is random and depends on the genes, condition, age, and origin.
You can refuse 2 times; on the 3rd time, the cooldown is 15 minutes.
Animals raised on the farm are sold for more than wild or purchased ones.
You can also sell wool to this NPC.

• Start with 1–2 purchased animals + a proper pen with feed and water.
• Keep the herd separate from those you will sell or slaughter.
• Bulls and rams are aggressive until the trust level reaches at least Bonded.
• Don’t overcrowd the pen — it has a severe impact on the condition of all the animals inside.
• Keep an eye on the grass: if it runs out, the animals will start to starve even if there’s a trough (the trough provides only up to 80 %).