Automated Hatch farm

[MoKuS]

So I am playing a new game and I am planning to use an automated Hatch farm as it is cumbersome to manage everything manually. I was wondering what setup you are using and if you can kindly share it with me.

[Angpaur]

Yeah, there is no need to allow critters to wander long distances - t takes them longer to go for grooming. You can still limit their walking area in horizontal builds too - just build there a 3 tiles high barier, like pneumpatic door with a tile on top. If you have a 4 tiles high room it will still allow you to make it horizontal.

[MoKuS]

Originally posted by XceptOne:

Ok, I took my pictures from a decomissioned but still present ranch. Just pretend there are hatches in it.

I don't really care for cramping my critters in as little space as possible (this increases wait time for the rancher a bit, but I don't mind).

Automated food delivery is missing, but for that just add a conveyor receptable in there and the sweepers will automatically replenish the critter feeder.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3046691138
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3046691120
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3046691088
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3046691163

Eggs get sweeped into the conveyor loader. The rails run over a conveor element sensor, then the vent and then bridge over the upper loader (it's disconnected form that set of rails) and then into the water submerged vent (which is where overflow hatches will be drowned and turned into meat).
The upper conveyor loader offloads meat and eggshells to a coonvenient offscreen location (the kitchen).

I use a timer and counter to 'save' an egg every 12.5 cycles, which gets dropped through the first vent. When that egg hatches, the critter sensor will dectect above 0 critters and open the door. WHen the hatchling enters the door space, the critter sensor will turn red again and close the door, so the hatchling gets dropped into the stable.
Dropping one hatchling every 12.5 cycles makes 8 hatches in 100 cycles, so by the time one gets dropped another one in the stable should die.

The automation part:
Timer sensor is set to 6.24 cycles red and 0.01 cycles green (that's 6 seconds). The timer signal goes into a counter.

The counter is set to two and advanced mode. That means it will output a short burst of green signal after 12.5 cycles and then reset automatically.

The counters signal is connected to a Memory Toggles' 'Set'-input, thus turning it green (until it receives a reset signal).
The Memory Toggles output is connected to an AND gate.

The other input of the AND gate comes from the conveyor element sensor, which is set to the correct egg type for what you want to ranch.

The AND gates' output is connected to the first conveyor vent.

When the correct egg typer rails over the sensor and the Memory Toggle is green then the first vent will open to drop the egg into the hatching chamber. Otherwise eggs (and everything else) will be dropped into the drowning chamber for food production.

The element sensor is also connected to a filter gate set to 0.8 seconds, which in turn will reset the Memory Toggle.

So every 12.5 cycles the Memory Toggle will be turned green, allowing one egg to be dropped into the hatching chamber. This will also reset the Memory Toggle back to red, so every egg following for the next 12.5 cycles will go to the drowning chamber.

The upper sweeper and conveyor loader will scrounge up any meat and eggshells produced up there but will ignore eggs (so they can stay).

This design is stable once every critter in the stable has been hatched in the hatching chamber, until then you may have to manually kill a critter in case the stable overcrowds.

I do use a similar design for basically all my ranching needs once I have researched the required automation gates and shipping.

Thank you very much for providing your setup and information. I will consider it for my next playthrough as I already set the layout of my current base.

[MoKuS]

Originally posted by POWER WITHIN USER:

Originally posted by MoKuS:

So I am playing a new game and I am planning to use an automated Hatch farm as it is cumbersome to manage everything manually.

You can 'automate' a hatch ranch -along with most ranches- by using different priorities:

Build an egg incubator (set to 5) then a dispenser - egg cracker or even a storage bin - (set to 4) so that your duplicants refill the egg incubator then have the rest of the eggs turned into food.

OK, I like your idea.

Originally posted by POWER WITHIN USER:

Pneumatic doors and access restrictions can allow only your cook to access the egg "storage" a flooded death pit and the eggs/meat while the rest of your workers are banned from accessing that area but are able to reach the dispenser with the use of a second door.

Now, I don't understand this setup and its purpose. What is the use of extra setup if there are always 8 Critters (including one egg if necessary in case one of the Critters dies) on the farm and excess eggs are delivered to the egg-cracker?

[MoKuS]

Originally posted by Angpaur:

Yeah, there is no need to allow critters to wander long distances - t takes them longer to go for grooming. You can still limit their walking area in horizontal builds too - just build there a 3 tiles high barier, like pneumpatic door with a tile on top. If you have a 4 tiles high room it will still allow you to make it horizontal.

Yes, that is how I set up my ranching. A 4x4 area that is separated by a tile and a door from the rest of the farm. I use the extra area for farming other things.

[XceptOne]

Originally posted by Angpaur:

I don't recall seing a simplier build for a ranch that could automate all aspects, besides grooming of course. Fully automated can be food delivery, coal, egg shells and meat retrieval, maintaning critter number at 8 and killing excess animals..

Well, tbh, mine does all that, except killing excess critter (you mean ranch critters, not overflow eggs?, because overflow eggs are handled), because it will stabilise on its' own over time. Food delivery isn't shown though, as I didn't install that, but as said, that's pretty much a matter of adding a receptable to the stable.

Not that I don't like your designs, I usually do, but I guess I needed to prove you mostly wrong with that specific statement. At least I don't think my 4-gate solution is more complicated than what you've build.
(Your build is still a little better in that ranchers don't have to wait as long as mine, but I don't actually think that makes much difference either, but if someone wants that it's usually just a matter of adding a door or two)

[XceptOne]

Originally posted by MoKuS:

Thank you very much for providing your setup and information. I will consider it for my next playthrough as I already set the layout of my current base.

You're welcome, as always.

Just a little more info regarding rough layout and my personal playstyle.
The layout/form and size of my ranches is never set in stone. I often build smaller ranches for less critters and its' actual form depends heavily on where I want to buid it and how space is organised there.
Even the upper part with hatching and drowning chamber can easily be reorganised to fit into what ever space there is (often I build this two tiles high instead of one, making it shorter).
The only important part about it is that the critter dropper is placed above the actual ranch. Anything else is just personal preferences and how it may fit best (the ranch doesn't even need to be a rectangle and space inside could very well be used to do other stuff as well.

I will also often reuse the drowning chamber for overflow eggs from other ranches as well. So only one drowning chamber exists serving multiple ranches, so they won't need their own.

[robotnikkkk]

Originally posted by MoKuS:

Yes, they eat everything and they eat a lot. I have 300+ tones of Sandstone on each map. What I am supposed to do with them? Moreover, coal is good for energy if you are not lucky enough to find a natural gas geyser. On top of that, I need good quality food to improve the morale of my dupes. Meal Lice does not do that and I don't have access to enough water to make another type of food. So, to me, a farm of Hatch and a farm of Drecko is crucial early to mid-game.

-1. HATCHES IS A TICKING TIME BOMB............ 300t IS NOT SO MUCH AND U'LL NEED ALL OF THEM AT VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION, THO........ THE ONLY RENEWABLE SOURCE OF COAL ARE STONE HATCHES VIA VOLCANO, AND!!!!....... SAGE HATCHES VIA ETHANOL DISTILLER ARBOR TREE SETUP............

........ FOR HAVING A SUITABLE ENERGY, U ARE MUST TO USE SALT WATER DESALINATORS AND ELECTROLYZER HYDRA........

-2. FOR GOOD FOOD QUALITY, PLANT DUSK CAPS AT FLOWER POTS, THAT'S THE SAME FOOD QUALITY AS BARBECUE AND OMELETTE (+2)....... FRIED MUSHROOMS, I MEAN..... AND U'LL GET TO SLEET WHEAT+PINCHA PEPPERS FOR LOTS OF PEPPER BREAD(+5), AND IT'S A 1 RECIPE

-3. YESSSSSSS FARMING GLOSSY DRECKOS IS IMPORTANNT, HEHEHEHE

[MoKuS]

Originally posted by XceptOne:

Originally posted by MoKuS:

Thank you very much for providing your setup and information. I will consider it for my next playthrough as I already set the layout of my current base.

You're welcome, as always.

Just a little more info regarding rough layout and my personal playstyle.
The layout/form and size of my ranches is never set in stone. I often build smaller ranches for less critters and its' actual form depends heavily on where I want to buid it and how space is organised there.
Even the upper part with hatching and drowning chamber can easily be reorganised to fit into what ever space there is (often I build this two tiles high instead of one, making it shorter).
The only important part about it is that the critter dropper is placed above the actual ranch. Anything else is just personal preferences and how it may fit best (the ranch doesn't even need to be a rectangle and space inside could very well be used to do other stuff as well.

I will also often reuse the drowning chamber for overflow eggs from other ranches as well. So only one drowning chamber exists serving multiple ranches, so they won't need their own.

Thank you very much for the information.

[MoKuS]

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

Originally posted by MoKuS:

Yes, they eat everything and they eat a lot. I have 300+ tones of Sandstone on each map. What I am supposed to do with them? Moreover, coal is good for energy if you are not lucky enough to find a natural gas geyser. On top of that, I need good quality food to improve the morale of my dupes. Meal Lice does not do that and I don't have access to enough water to make another type of food. So, to me, a farm of Hatch and a farm of Drecko is crucial early to mid-game.

-1. HATCHES IS A TICKING TIME BOMB............ 300t IS NOT SO MUCH AND U'LL NEED ALL OF THEM AT VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION, THO........ THE ONLY RENEWABLE SOURCE OF COAL ARE STONE HATCHES VIA VOLCANO, AND!!!!....... SAGE HATCHES VIA ETHANOL DISTILLER ARBOR TREE SETUP............

8 Hatches consumes 1,120 KG/cycle. 300+ Tons of sandstone provide supply for less than 300 cycles which is a lot. I am not up to farming the Sage and Stone hatch as it requires a lot of patience to get there. Moreover, I read elsewhere that a volcano can provide enough rock for only a few Stone Hatches!

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

........ FOR HAVING A SUITABLE ENERGY, U ARE MUST TO USE SALT WATER DESALINATORS AND ELECTROLYZER HYDRA........

What is that? Are you talking about SPOM?

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

-2. FOR GOOD FOOD QUALITY, PLANT DUSK CAPS AT FLOWER POTS, THAT'S THE SAME FOOD QUALITY AS BARBECUE AND OMELETTE (+2)....... FRIED MUSHROOMS, I MEAN..... AND U'LL GET TO SLEET WHEAT+PINCHA PEPPERS FOR LOTS OF PEPPER BREAD(+5), AND IT'S A 1 RECIPE

Fried mushrooms need carbon dioxide and Slime which the latter is limited so you cannot depend on it unless you can produce Slime. I read somewhere about producing Slime.

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

-3. YESSSSSSS FARMING GLOSSY DRECKOS IS IMPORTANNT, HEHEHEHE

Yes, plastic is needed for many useful stuff.

[robotnikkkk]

Originally posted by MoKuS:

8 Hatches consumes 1,120 KG/cycle. 300+ Tons of sandstone provide supply for less than 300 cycles which is a lot. I am not up to farming the Sage and Stone hatch as it requires a lot of patience to get there. Moreover, I read elsewhere that a volcano can provide enough rock for only a few Stone Hatches!

=300 CYCLES IS LITERALLY NOTHING , THO.... THEY'LL PASS QUICKLY ENOUGH.......... AND AFTER THIS U'LL RUN OUT OF POWER AND DIE, THO

......... STONE HATCHES ARE... LIKE...... 1 VOLCANO CAN FEED...... 5-6 OF THEM, BUT CONSTANTLY , WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT BC OF TIME FRAME IS APPLIABLE ONLY TO VERY EXPERIENCED PRO PLAYERS WHO ARE MAKING STRATEGIES AND MAKING A WHOLE STRATEGY ETC ETC

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

What is that? Are you talking about SPOM?

=YESSSSS BUT MUCH MORE ADVANCED ONE...... I REMEMBER I WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THAT WHICH DO NOT OVERPRESSURE.............. I'M USING THEM MAINLY FOR POWER, THO............ 1 SALT WATER GEYSER CAN PROVIDE 4 ELECTROLYZERS WHICH IS 800x4=3600W OF POWER

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

Fried mushrooms need carbon dioxide and Slime which the latter is limited so you cannot depend on it unless you can produce Slime. I read somewhere about producing Slime.

=SO U WILL NOT TRY TO MAKE FLOWER POTS ENTOMBED BY FALLING SAND/REGOLITH, THOUGH???????.............. OR U CAN DO THIS IN COLD BIOME AND MOVE A BOTTLE OF WATER WHICH WILL CREATE ICE TILE AND ENTOMB.............. SO U'LL BE ABLE TO USE EXPLOIT

[MoKuS]

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

Originally posted by MoKuS:

8 Hatches consumes 1,120 KG/cycle. 300+ Tons of sandstone provide supply for less than 300 cycles which is a lot. I am not up to farming the Sage and Stone hatch as it requires a lot of patience to get there. Moreover, I read elsewhere that a volcano can provide enough rock for only a few Stone Hatches!

=300 CYCLES IS LITERALLY NOTHING , THO.... THEY'LL PASS QUICKLY ENOUGH.......... AND AFTER THIS U'LL RUN OUT OF POWER AND DIE, THO

A few hundred cycles is a lot for me. I have 500 hours in the game and I would not play beyond a few hundred cycles because I get bored.

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

......... STONE HATCHES ARE... LIKE...... 1 VOLCANO CAN FEED...... 5-6 OF THEM, BUT CONSTANTLY , WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT BC OF TIME FRAME IS APPLIABLE ONLY TO VERY EXPERIENCED PRO PLAYERS WHO ARE MAKING STRATEGIES AND MAKING A WHOLE STRATEGY ETC ETC

I am aware of that. I don't call myself a pro. I have never tamed a volcano in the past. Maybe in the future.

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

Originally posted by MoKuS:

What is that? Are you talking about SPOM?

=YESSSSS BUT MUCH MORE ADVANCED ONE...... I REMEMBER I WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THAT WHICH DO NOT OVERPRESSURE.............. I'M USING THEM MAINLY FOR POWER, THO............ 1 SALT WATER GEYSER CAN PROVIDE 4 ELECTROLYZERS WHICH IS 800x4=3600W OF POWER

Well, I was not lucky enough to find a saltwater geyser yet. What is your setup? what do you do with the excess oxygen?

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

Originally posted by MoKuS:

Fried mushrooms need carbon dioxide and Slime which the latter is limited so you cannot depend on it unless you can produce Slime. I read somewhere about producing Slime.

=SO U WILL NOT TRY TO MAKE FLOWER POTS ENTOMBED BY FALLING SAND/REGOLITH, THOUGH???????.............. OR U CAN DO THIS IN COLD BIOME AND MOVE A BOTTLE OF WATER WHICH WILL CREATE ICE TILE AND ENTOMB.............. SO U'LL BE ABLE TO USE EXPLOIT

I am not aware of those exploits. I just read elsewhere that you can use Morbs combined with Buft to produce Slime.

[robotnikkkk]

Originally posted by MoKuS:

A few hundred cycles is a lot for me. I have 500 hours in the game and I would not play beyond a few hundred cycles because I get bored.

=DUDE, FOR AN AVERAGE PLAYER, EVEN 2000 CYCLES ISNT ENOUGH TO BEAT THE GAME............. THOSE SO CALLED "EXPERTS" DONT LIKE TO REMIND HOW THEY DID AT 1ST TIME, THOUGH

=SO THESE "EXTRA CYCLES" YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DONT DO ANYTHING, AND IT'S A VERY PAINFUL TO START ALL OVER BUT U'LL HAVE TO......... WILL U MAKE ANOTHER RUN, THO????

Originally posted by MoKuS:

I am aware of that. I don't call myself a pro. I have never tamed a volcano in the past. Maybe in the future.

............ SO IF U'RE PLANNING TO BEAT THE GAME, U SHOULD AT LEAST KEEP RANCH OF 60TILES............. OF STONE HATCHES, I GUESS??????

Originally posted by MoKuS:

Well, I was not lucky enough to find a saltwater geyser yet. What is your setup? what do you do with the excess oxygen?

=IN ACTUAL, ANY WATER GEYSER WILL DO, THOUGH......... JUST SALT WATER GEYSERS ARE RELATIVELY COMMON, THOUGH

=AND I'M JUST PUMPING ALL OXYGEN THAT IS COOLED AT SEPARATE INFINITE STORAGE AND UNCOOLED IS AT SPOM DUE TO HYDRA DESIGN DONT OVERPRESSURE, THO

Originally posted by MoKuS:

I am not aware of those exploits.

=HMMMPHHHH........... I GUESS I'VE EXPLAINED WELL ENOUGH LIKE AT THAT GUIDE, THOUGH?????

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3046491479

=SO.................. FRIED MUSHROOMS, DUDE... HEHE............

[POWER WITHIN USER]

Originally posted by MoKuS:

Now, I don't understand this setup and its purpose. What is the use of extra setup if there are always 8 Critters (including one egg if necessary in case one of the Critters dies) on the farm

These 5 doors and dispenser turn eggs into meat.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3047630132

The 3 doors at the center don't allow anyone past them.
Rowan can't go past the red door (left one, that someone is standing on), but everyone else can deliver eggs to the dispenser.
However, Rowan is the only one that's allowed through the blue (right) door, so he can grab eggs -in case the incubator happens to be empty- and meat.
The horizontal door makes sure critters are 'processed'; the incubator can be accessed by anyone.

You can build this vertically the mesh tiles are there because I designed this in a couple minutes and didn't want to move all that water; I intentionally placed a hatch to the side as an example that wouldn't be in front of the eggs.
With rails, sweepers and loaders you can get rid of the 4 vertical doors and dispenser but that costs at least 400 refined metal per ranch.

and excess eggs are delivered to the egg-cracker?

The egg cracker is easier to use and takes less space as shown on the screenshot, but omelettes aren't barbecue.
You could not build an egg cracker but they're still useful as pips, slugs and pokeshells exist, the building can be checked to see how many eggs there are and if there's an emergency you can order a couple eggs to be cracked instead of waiting for meat.

[robotnikkkk]

Originally posted by POWER WITHIN USER:

These 5 doors and dispenser turn eggs into meat.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3047630132

=BY THE WAY I'M NOT INTERESTED AT ANY OTHER FARMS RATHER THAN MOLTEN SLICKSTER(LAZY PETROLEUM, HEHE) AND POKESHELL(SAND WHERE YOU DONT HAVE ANY) ...............

........... SO, HOW TO MAKE A KILL CHAMBER FOR POKESHELLS, THO.......... BC OF 170 OF THEM HITTING PC REALLY HARD, THO............ THEY DONT DROWN, THO

[MoKuS]

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

Originally posted by MoKuS:

A few hundred cycles is a lot for me. I have 500 hours in the game and I would not play beyond a few hundred cycles because I get bored.

=DUDE, FOR AN AVERAGE PLAYER, EVEN 2000 CYCLES ISNT ENOUGH TO BEAT THE GAME............. THOSE SO CALLED "EXPERTS" DONT LIKE TO REMIND HOW THEY DID AT 1ST TIME, THOUGH

You didn't read carefully. I said I normally get bored after a few hundred cycles. Maybe in the future, I play longer.

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

=SO THESE "EXTRA CYCLES" YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DONT DO ANYTHING, AND IT'S A VERY PAINFUL TO START ALL OVER BUT U'LL HAVE TO......... WILL U MAKE ANOTHER RUN, THO????

Normally, I like the initial stage of the game, let's say before 1000 cycles.

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

Originally posted by MoKuS:

I am aware of that. I don't call myself a pro. I have never tamed a volcano in the past. Maybe in the future.

............ SO IF U'RE PLANNING TO BEAT THE GAME, U SHOULD AT LEAST KEEP RANCH OF 60TILES............. OF STONE HATCHES, I GUESS??????

Sure.

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

Originally posted by MoKuS:

Well, I was not lucky enough to find a saltwater geyser yet. What is your setup? what do you do with the excess oxygen?

=IN ACTUAL, ANY WATER GEYSER WILL DO, THOUGH......... JUST SALT WATER GEYSERS ARE RELATIVELY COMMON, THOUGH

As I said I have never seen a saltwater geyser.

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

=AND I'M JUST PUMPING ALL OXYGEN THAT IS COOLED AT SEPARATE INFINITE STORAGE AND UNCOOLED IS AT SPOM DUE TO HYDRA DESIGN DONT OVERPRESSURE, THO

OK, I see.

Originally posted by robotnikkkk:

Originally posted by MoKuS:

I am not aware of those exploits.

=HMMMPHHHH........... I GUESS I'VE EXPLAINED WELL ENOUGH LIKE AT THAT GUIDE, THOUGH?????

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3046491479

=SO.................. FRIED MUSHROOMS, DUDE... HEHE............

OK, thanks for the guide. I will read it later and let you know if I have any questions. I have to say that it is difficult to understand you.