TRUFFLE HUNTING: Is the amount of truffles found per pig affected by space and or how often they are picked up?

[JellyBellyFarm]

I know there is math on the chances of a pig finding multiple truffles based on friendship points, but that is not what I mean.

If I let my pigs out on a 3*3 enclosure, will they have the same chances of finding truffles as a 8*8 enclosure (numbers are hypothetical and for simplicity)?
Also, does the frequency of me picking up the truffles affect the rate of truffle finding?

For backstory, my partner and I typically get ~22 truffles a day. That's after letting them loose and leaving them all day. But one day my partner grabbed 54 truffles in a day! He said it's because he picked them up more often instead of doing one large haul. Is this plausible?

 

[imnvs]

They can not find truffles where they have already found truffles. If you want them to find 16 truffles you need at least a space that is 4x4. In any other way, the space they have doesn't increase the amount they find. The space can only limit how much they find, so you do want them to have plenty of space.

The amount or frequency you pick up has no effect on them finding truffles... so long as they still have space to find truffles. Your partner was just really lucky one day or found truffles that were found on previous days that he missed.

 

[Lew Zealand]

If I let my pigs out on a 3*3 enclosure, will they have the same chances of finding truffles as a 8*8 enclosure (numbers are hypothetical and for simplicity)?
Also, does the frequency of me picking up the truffles affect the rate of truffle finding?

I think you may find fewer in the 3*3 enclosure, though picking them up won't affect the Pigs' finding rate unless they are constrained by available spaces.

Like imnvs said, Pigs need open ground to dig up Truffles and when I've paid attention, they do not seem to look for that open ground just to dig one up. This is my concern about an overly restricted Truffle yard. So if you have a Barn full of Pigs and want to maximize Truffles without grabbing them each day, make sure they have lots of extra space to dig when they're feeling it. Setting up your Barn near green areas on those farms (Forest, Beach, Riverland) are good if you still want to do a lot of Farming as converting those unfarmable spaces to Truffle yards is a nice option.

 

[FilthyGorilla]

They can not find truffles where they have already found truffles. If you want them to find 16 truffles you need at least a space that is 4x4. In any other way, the space they have doesn't increase the amount they find. The space can only limit how much they find, so you do want them to have plenty of space.

The amount or frequency you pick up has no effect on them finding truffles... so long as they still have space to find truffles. Your partner was just really lucky one day or found truffles that were found on previous days that he missed.

Well it doesn’t on paper but I’m the game it does as without larger area of space the pigs done spread out and fill their tiles fast then don’t wander. Usually pigs like to wander, find an area, and then place the majority of their truffles around that. Picking them up obviously eliminates this problem.

 

[PoppyForPenny]

It does seem like you end up with more truffles if you follow a pig around picking them up.

 

[FilthyGorilla]

It does seem like you end up with more truffles if you follow a pig around picking them up.

Yeah it’s because of the way the pig searches for tiles, if it’s fully empty then it can place near anywhere.

 

[MogBeoulve]

I can never find truffles. I do have a lot of uncleared trees, but I didn't think that was a problem because those areas are basically fully occupied by tree saplings. So the truffles would just spawn elsewhere, right? But I only average like half a truffle a day, excluding the extras I get as a foraging skill bonus. The pig is at full friendship. What am I missing?

 

[Ereo]

I can never find truffles. I do have a lot of uncleared trees, but I didn't think that was a problem because those areas are basically fully occupied by tree saplings. So the truffles would just spawn elsewhere, right? But I only average like half a truffle a day, excluding the extras I get as a foraging skill bonus. The pig is at full friendship. What am I missing?

How many empty tiles do you have?

 

[Elenna101]

I can never find truffles. I do have a lot of uncleared trees, but I didn't think that was a problem because those areas are basically fully occupied by tree saplings. So the truffles would just spawn elsewhere, right? But I only average like half a truffle a day, excluding the extras I get as a foraging skill bonus. The pig is at full friendship. What am I missing?

They can't produce truffles if they're standing on grass, they need to be standing on empty dirt.
(If you're thinking "but I've had truffles in grass before", that's because the truffles spawn next to the pig, so if the pig is standing on bare dirt next to grass, it can spawn a truffle in the grass. Also those are hard to see so sometimes they get missed and the grass spreads more around them.)

 

[MogBeoulve]

I don't fence in any of my animals and they have now eaten half the pasture, so there is a lot of bare ground. Not sure how much exactly, but at least 100 tiles within easy reach of the barn.

Not spawning on grass might be part of my problem. In early spring there is nothing but grass, trees, and crops, and I think I am seeing more truffles as the grass is eaten away.

Would it help if I fenced my crops in so the pig can't wander there and not find truffles?

 

[Elenna101]

Yeah that would probably help

 

[VampireCake]

I don't fence in any of my animals and they have now eaten half the pasture, so there is a lot of bare ground. Not sure how much exactly, but at least 100 tiles within easy reach of the barn.

Not spawning on grass might be part of my problem. In early spring there is nothing but grass, trees, and crops, and I think I am seeing more truffles as the grass is eaten away.

Would it help if I fenced my crops in so the pig can't wander there and not find truffles?

Yes, and it's also easier to find them to pick up if you don't have to hunt all over. Personally I like to keep pigs in a separate barn with a fenced-in area, so other animals don't get in the way of their trufflin'. I don't know if it actually helps but it doesn't hurt, none of the other animals actually have to be outside to generate produce - they've all got heaters and auto-petters so they're perfectly happy.

 

[MogBeoulve]

My goodness, these guys are high maintenance! I am not building an entire barn and fenced paddock for one pig. I need that space so I can build another rabbit coop!

 

[FilthyGorilla]

They can't produce truffles if they're standing on grass, they need to be standing on empty dirt.
(If you're thinking "but I've had truffles in grass before", that's because the truffles spawn next to the pig, so if the pig is standing on bare dirt next to grass, it can spawn a truffle in the grass. Also those are hard to see so sometimes they get missed and the grass spreads more around them.)

As well as the game basically "shoving" the truffle over tiles in the original dug up direction if that tile was not applicable.