Egg

Eggs are the reproductive items laid by critters. They are produced by both wild and tamed critters, then hatch into babies of the same wild or tame state as the parent. A critter that has been tamed cannot return to being wild, so the egg preserves that status when it hatches.

Egg production depends on the critter’s living conditions and age. Wild critters normally lay only one egg over their lifetime, while happy tamed critters can lay many more, often around 15 to 16 eggs depending on lifespan. Critters can stop laying if their reproduction is paused by debuffs such as Cramped, Miserable, Confined, or Glum. In a stable, eggs also count toward room capacity: if there is at least one egg present and the combined number of eggs and critters exceeds the room’s limit, critters gain Cramped and stop generating more eggs. Eggs stored in a Ration Box or refrigerator inside the stable still count toward this limit.

Eggs hatch over time, and the incubation period depends on the critter. In general, an egg left out in the open takes about 20 cycles to hatch, while an Incubator reduces that to about 4 cycles. Eggs kept inside a Storage Bin or moved on a Conveyor Rail lose viability at 10% per cycle and eventually crack into a Raw Egg and an Egg Shell. If an egg is buried inside a solid tile or enclosed by a closed Mechanized Airlock, incubation stops but viability does not, allowing it to be stored indefinitely.

• When an egg cracks, it produces half its mass as Raw Egg and half as Egg Shell.
• Egg mass varies widely by species, from very light eggs to heavy ones weighing several kilograms.
• Taming critters and keeping large populations happy is one of the most efficient ways to get eggs, but it requires enough food to support them.
• Weight Plates can be used to measure egg mass for automation or sorting.