Overview
Ostriches are a livestock species in Starsand Island unlocked at the Expert Rancher tier, the highest ranching profession level in the game. They are purchased from Pastelle at Green Pasture Ranch for 2,750 Coins each, tying with alpacas as the most expensive livestock available. While ostriches cannot fly, they dash across the ground with impressive speed, making them one of the fastest single-rider mounts in the game. All four ostrich variants are rideable and produce Ostrich Eggs and Feathers as daily byproducts.
Ostriches sit at the Expert tier, which means players must complete the full Rancher profession progression, including all previous certification quests through Senior Rancher, before they become available. Once unlocked, ostriches provide both fast transportation and consistent material production, making them a strong late-game ranching investment.
Quick Reference
Detail | Value |
|---|---|
Purchase Price | 2,750 Coins |
Housing | Ostrich Barn (blueprint from Green Pasture Ranch) |
Rancher Tier | Expert |
Products | |
Feed | Ostrich Feed (purchased from Pastelle or crafted at the Feeder) |
Rideable | Yes, all variants (1 person) |
Total Variants | 4 (1 Common, 2 Rare, 1 Super Rare) |
Max per Enclosure | 4 |
Maturity Time | 7 days |
Variants
There are four ostrich variants in Starsand Island. The Common Ostrich is the only variant available for direct purchase. The other three are obtained exclusively through breeding and cannot be found in the wild.
Variant | Rarity | How to Obtain | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Ostrich (Common) | Common | A common ostrich with a standard brown and white plumage. While it might not soar through the skies, it dashes across the land like the wind. Rideable by one person. | |
Rare | Breeding only | A rare subspecies of ostrich with feathers as white as snow. Rideable by one person. | |
Rare | Breeding only | A rare subspecies of ostrich with golden feathers that exude artistic charm. Rideable by one person. | |
Super Rare | Breeding only | A super rare variant of ostrich with tail feathers as magnificent as those of a phoenix. This shows rebirth and auspiciousness. Rideable by one person. |
How to Obtain
Purchasing
The Common Ostrich can be purchased from Pastelle at Green Pasture Ranch for 2,750 Coins once you have reached the Expert Rancher tier. The ranch is located northwest of Hopeland and is open from 6 AM to 10 PM. You must have an Ostrich Barn with at least one available slot before you can complete the purchase.
Breeding
The Snow Ostrich, Golden Ostrich, and Phoenix Ostrich are all obtained exclusively through breeding. To breed ostriches, place one male and one female ostrich in the same Ostrich Barn with at least one empty slot. Both parents must be fed and clean. A baby ostrich appears overnight. The variant of the offspring is determined randomly based on rarity probability, with Super Rare variants like the Phoenix Ostrich having the lowest appearance rate.
Baby ostriches take 7 days to reach adulthood. Feed them daily throughout the growth period. Once mature, they can breed and be ridden.
The breeding paths for ostrich variants follow the standard breeding system:
Target Variant | Recommended Pairing | Rarity Tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Common Ostrich + Common Ostrich | Rare | Random rare mutation from common parents. May take several breeding cycles. | |
Common Ostrich + Common Ostrich | Rare | Random rare mutation from common parents. Same probability as Snow Ostrich. | |
Any Ostrich + Any Ostrich | Super Rare | Lowest breeding probability of all ostrich variants. Pairing two rare variants (e.g., Snow + Golden) may improve odds slightly. |
For faster breeding, use a Breeding House (unlocked at Intermediate Rancher, 3,500 Coins) to isolate specific pairs. The Selective Breeding House (Expert tier, 30,000 Coins or craftable at Worktable III) biases DNA trait inheritance toward a chosen parent, but does not influence which color variant the offspring will be. Use Love Ostrich Feed from the Love Feeder station to reset breeding cooldowns, and pair it with the Strong DNA trait for the fastest possible breeding cycle when chasing the Phoenix Ostrich.
Products
Ostriches produce several byproducts when kept fed, clean, and happy. Their primary output is the Ostrich Egg, a large processing material used in crafting. All variants produce the same base products.
Product | Source | Category | Description and Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
Ostrich Egg | All ostrich variants | Processing | The giant among eggs, often bought for making crafts. A valuable processing material with multiple crafting applications. |
Feather | All ostrich variants | Feathers used as a crafting material. Required in several building recipes, including the Cattle Barn (x4 Feather). Also used in other crafting and processing recipes. | |
Poop | All ostrich variants | Processing | Standard animal droppings processed into fertilizer at the Fertilizer Box for use on crops. |
Higher happiness levels (150+) increase the chance of premium-quality products. Keep ostriches well-fed, brushed, and petted daily for best results.
The Poultry Egg Station (Intermediate Rancher, 4,500 Coins) can be placed inside or adjacent to the Ostrich Barn to automatically collect eggs from your ostriches. This saves daily interaction time and is especially useful when managing multiple barns. Unlike chickens and ducks, ostriches do not require daily petting to produce eggs.
Housing and Care
Ostrich Barn
Ostriches require an Ostrich Barn as their housing structure. The Ostrich Barn blueprint is unlocked at the Expert Rancher tier and can be purchased from Pastelle at Green Pasture Ranch. Each barn holds up to 4 ostriches. You must build at least one Ostrich Barn before purchasing your first ostrich. Place the barn on your farm using the building menu; required materials are consumed automatically when the building is placed.
Daily Care Routine
Ostrich care follows the standard animal care routine:
Task | Frequency | Details |
|---|---|---|
Feeding | Daily | Ostrich Feed, purchased from Pastelle or crafted at the Feeder. Unfed ostriches lose happiness and stop producing byproducts. |
Brushing | Every 2-3 days | Use a Brush or Cleaning Pod. The "Messy" status appears when an ostrich needs cleaning, which reduces happiness. |
Petting | Daily | Pet your ostriches daily to boost happiness. Ostriches with the Pride DNA trait cannot be petted. |
Automation Stations
Several automation stations can be placed inside or adjacent to the Ostrich Barn to reduce daily labor:
Station | Rancher Tier | Cost | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
Intermediate | 5,500 Coins | Automatically feeds ostriches, removing the need for daily manual feeding. | |
Intermediate | 4,500 Coins | Keeps ostriches clean automatically without manual brushing. | |
Intermediate | 4,500 Coins | Automatically collects eggs from ostriches. | |
Senior | 5,500 Coins | Plays soothing music that gradually increases ostrich happiness over time. |
Riding
All four ostrich variants function as single-rider mounts. Ostriches are known for their speed on the ground, making them one of the faster mount options in Starsand Island. While they cannot fly, their running speed makes up for it when traversing the island.
To ride an ostrich, interact with a fully grown ostrich in its barn. There is no special saddle or equipment required. While mounted on an ostrich, you can still interact with objects and NPCs across the island.
Compared to other mount species, ostriches provide strong ground speed with the added benefit of Ostrich Egg and Feather production. Horses are the only species that support duo riding (two players), so if multiplayer co-op travel is a priority, horses remain the better choice. For single-player transportation combined with material production, ostriches and alpacas are both excellent Expert-tier options.
DNA Traits
Like all animals in Starsand Island, ostriches carry DNA traits that influence their behavior, breeding capability, and products. Traits are visible on each ostrich's info panel and are inherited by offspring during breeding.
Trait | Type | Effect on Ostriches |
|---|---|---|
Strong | Positive | Breeding cooldown reduced by 1 day. Essential when targeting the Phoenix Ostrich through repeated breeding attempts. |
Twins | Positive | 30% chance to produce an extra offspring when breeding. More offspring per cycle means more chances at rare variants. |
Precocial | Positive | Growth period reduced by 1 day (from 7 to 6 days). Helps new ostriches reach breeding age faster. |
Optimism | Positive | 50% chance for happiness to double when rising. Reduces brushing frequency needed to keep ostriches happy. |
Workaholic | Positive | Increases daily work cycles. Less relevant for ostriches since they lack utility abilities like weeding or pest control. |
Bulkiness | Positive | Ostrich grows physically larger. Cosmetic effect only. |
Pride | Negative | Ostrich cannot be petted. Makes maintaining high happiness very difficult. Sell ostriches with this trait immediately. |
Petiteness | Negative | Ostrich stays smaller than normal. Cosmetic only, but generally undesirable. |
Bloom | Negative | Happiness boost decreased by 1 point per interaction. Gradually degrades mood. Sell affected ostriches promptly. |
For breeding purposes, prioritize ostriches with Strong and Twins traits. When both parents share the same positive trait, offspring have roughly a 90% chance of inheriting it. Remove any ostrich carrying Pride or Bloom from your breeding pool immediately.
Breeding Strategy for Phoenix Ostrich
The Phoenix Ostrich is the rarest ostrich variant, with magnificent tail feathers resembling a phoenix. Obtaining one requires patience and a systematic approach:
Buy 8 to 12 Common Ostriches to establish a breeding pool. You will need 2 to 3 Ostrich Barns (4 per barn).
Check every ostrich's DNA profile right away. Sell any with Pride, Bloom, or Petiteness.
Keep ostriches with Strong and Twins traits as your core breeders.
Run multiple breeding pairs simultaneously across all barns. Fill every breeding slot each day.
Use a Breeding House (3,500 Coins, Intermediate) for controlled pairings. When you obtain a Snow or Golden Ostrich, try pairing two rare variants together for a potentially improved chance at the Phoenix Ostrich.
Use Love Ostrich Feed from the Love Feeder station to reset breeding cooldowns during targeted breeding campaigns.
Be patient. The Phoenix Ostrich has the lowest breeding probability among all ostrich variants. Plan for multiple in-game weeks of consistent breeding.
Comparison with Other Expert and Senior Mounts
The following table compares ostriches with other high-tier rideable animals to help you choose where to invest your Coins and barn space.
Species | Tier | Price | Rider Capacity | Key Products | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ostrich | Expert | 2,750 | 1 | Ostrich Egg, Feather | Fast ground speed, egg and feather production |
Expert | 2,750 | 1 | Alpaca Wool, Alpaca Spit | Dual-purpose: mount + wool/spit production | |
Senior | 1,350 | 2 | Fur, Horse Dew | Only species supporting duo riding (two players) | |
Senior | 1,350 | 1 | Fur | 5 variants including the special Luna Deer (found wild in Moonlit Forest) |
Tips
Feathers from ostriches are a useful crafting material. The Cattle Barn recipe requires 4 Feathers, and several other building and crafting recipes call for them as well.
Install a Poultry Egg Station (4,500 Coins, Intermediate) in each Ostrich Barn for automatic egg collection. This saves daily visits and stacks well with multiple barns.
Invest in a Feeding Trough and Cleaning Pod early. These Intermediate-tier stations are relatively cheap compared to the 2,750-Coin ostriches themselves and dramatically reduce daily care time.
Keep at least one Common Ostrich for reliable daily egg and feather output while dedicating other barn slots to breeding for rare variants.
Ostriches and alpacas unlock at the same tier and share the same price point. Consider raising both species to diversify your product output between eggs, feathers, wool, and spit.
The Phoenix Ostrich, with its fiery phoenix-like tail feathers, is one of the most visually striking animals in the game. Even if you do not need it for quests, it makes an impressive prestige mount.
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