Breeding to release
Six stages from a breeding pair to a released animal. Skipping stage two is why most breeding programmes stall.
Breeding is the cheapest way to fill a habitat and the most common source of storage pressure. The sequence below uses values from the species pages: maturity, gestation, interbirth interval and group limits.
The six stages
- Research the species. Care items and enrichment come from research; breeding into an unfinished habitat multiplies problems.
- Hold welfare, not just survival. Thriving requires the enrichment categories and, where published, compatible species. Breeding animals in a marginal habitat produces fragile stock.
- Check maturity. Each species page lists age of sexual maturity; juveniles cannot breed, and immature animals are not release candidates either.
- Plan the cycle. Gestation, litter size and interbirth interval tell you how many animals arrive and when the next window is. Group caps decide how many you can keep.
- Keep or release. Surplus animals either go to storage, to the market, or to a reserve — decide before the litter arrives.
- Release with confirmed state. Run the readiness checklist: maturity, habitat values, compatibility and welfare. Unknown is not the same as passing.
Values that decide the plan
| Value | Where it is | Why it changes the plan |
|---|---|---|
| Age of sexual maturity | Species page → Lifecycle | Sets the earliest breeding date |
| Gestation / incubation | Species page → Lifecycle | Sets how long until the litter lands |
| Interbirth interval | Species page → Lifecycle | Sets the next window, so it caps throughput |
| Litter size | Species page → Lifecycle | Sets storage pressure per cycle |
| Group size and per-sex cap | Species page → Care | Sets how many can stay in the habitat |
| Compatible species | Species page → Companions | Decides whether a mixed habitat is viable |
Where breeding goes wrong
- Storage hits its cap. Tier 4 accreditation adds +50 storage according to the tier table; that is usually the fix, not another habitat.
- Welfare drops after a birth. A litter can push a habitat over its social limits — the per-sex cap is the number that breaks first.
- Releasing juveniles. Maturity is a published value; check it before release.
- Assuming a species qualifies. Conservation status and reserve rules are separate checks; the readiness tool marks unconfirmed states as unknown.
Tools for this path
FAQ
Common questions about this topic.
How do I know when an animal can breed?
The species page prints age of sexual maturity from the Zoopedia record.
What is the interbirth interval?
The time between one litter and the next — it caps how quickly a breeding pair produces offspring.
Should I release or sell surplus animals?
Releasing builds reserve biodiversity; selling returns Conservation Credits. The readiness checklist is the gate for the release path.
Does research affect breeding?
Yes: research unlocks the care items welfare depends on, and welfare is a precondition for stable breeding.