Fields of Mistria: How to Get Hay Fast (All Methods)

Overview

Hay is a basic ranch resource in Fields of Mistria used to feed large animals kept in barns and in certain crafting recipes. You need a steady supply as soon as you start raising cows or horses. Here's the quick answer: cut grass with your sword, buy it from Hayden's Shop or Balor's Wagon, or craft it in the Stone Refinery. This guide walks through each method so you can keep your animals fed without burning through your gold.

Direct outcome: By the end of this guide, you'll know all four ways to obtain hay, which method is fastest early on, and how to build a sustainable supply loop so you never run out.

Requirements

• A sword — You start with the Worn Sword. Any sword works for cutting grass.
• Access to Hayden's Shop — Located in Mistria, open during shop hours.
• 50 Tesserae per hay — The purchase price at both Hayden's Shop and Balor's Wagon.
• 6 Stone — Required to craft one hay in the Stone Refinery.
• Stone Refinery unlocked — This building processes raw materials into refined items.

How to Get Hay: Step-by-Step Methods

Method 1: Cut Grass with Your Sword (Recommended Early Game)

This is the most reliable and cost-free method, especially in your first few weeks.

1. Equip your sword from your inventory or hotbar.
2. Walk to any grassy area on your farm or around town. Tall grass, weeds, and overgrown patches all count.
3. Swing your sword at the grass by pressing the attack button.
4. Collect the drops — cutting grass yields hay, grass seed, and fiber.
5. Repeat until you have enough hay for your animals.

Pro tip: Don't clear every patch at once. Leave some grass standing so it can regrow. The player experience from early access shows that grass regrows fairly quickly, so you can rotate between patches and harvest repeatedly without running out.

Method 2: Buy from Hayden's Shop

If you need hay immediately and have Tesserae to spare:

1. Travel to Hayden's Shop in Mistria.
2. Open the shop menu by talking to Hayden.
3. Purchase hay for 50 Tesserae each.

This is the fastest method when you're in a pinch, but it gets expensive if you have multiple barn animals.

Method 3: Buy from Balor's Wagon

Balor's Wagon is a second purchase option:

1. Check if Balor's Wagon is in stock — availability rotates.
2. Purchase hay for 50 Tesserae each when available.

This is a backup option if you happen to be near the wagon or if Hayden's Shop is closed.

Method 4: Craft Hay in the Stone Refinery

Once you have the Stone Refinery unlocked:

1. Gather 6 Stone from mining rocks or clearing your farm.
2. Open the Stone Refinery menu.
3. Select the Hay recipe.
4. Confirm the craft — it takes 10 minutes of in-game time.

This method is useful when you have excess stone and need hay without spending gold. Note that as of version v0.13.3, hay only appears in the Stone Refinery crafting menu, not the Mill.

Recommended Setup for Sustainable Hay

Here's a simple loop to keep hay flowing without spending gold:

1. Designate a grass patch on your farm that you never fully clear.
2. Harvest grass in sections — cut one area, move to another, then return when the first regrows.
3. Unlock the Feeding Frenzy perk in the Ranching skill tree (tier 1). According to community reports, this doubles your hay and grass seed drops from cutting grass, making early game much easier.
4. Store excess hay in chests so you build a buffer for winter when grass doesn't grow.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Clearing all grass at once

If you cut every patch on your farm in one day, you'll have nothing left to regrow. Leave some grass standing to maintain your supply.

Buying hay too early

Spending 50 Tesserae per hay adds up fast. Cut grass first and only buy when you're truly short.

Ignoring the Stone Refinery

If you have stone sitting around, crafting hay is free. Don't overlook this method just because the Mill doesn't produce hay anymore.

Forgetting grass regrowth

Grass takes time to come back. If you're impatient, you might find yourself with zero grass and zero hay. Plan ahead.

Advanced Tips

Prioritize Feeding Frenzy early

The Feeding Frenzy perk in the Ranching skill tree doubles hay and grass seed drops from cutting grass. Player experience from early access recommends this as one of the first Ranching perks to grab because it solves your hay problem permanently.

Use grass seed to expand your supply

When you cut grass, you'll also collect grass seed. Plant this seed on empty farm tiles to create new grass patches. This turns a one-time harvest into a renewable resource.

Save hay for the Feed Prepper perk

If you plan to craft Quality or Deluxe Large Animal Feed, save your hay. These recipes require one hay each along with Water Chestnut (and Acorn for Deluxe). The Feed Prepper perk reduces craft time at the Mill by 10 minutes, making batch production more efficient.

Check Balor's Wagon regularly

When Balor's Wagon has hay in stock, it's the same price as Hayden's. But if you're already near the wagon, you can save a trip.

Related Guides

• How to Get 7 Hearts
• How to Get the Fishing Rod
• How to Get Flour
• How to Get Hardened Essence

Sources

• Hay - Fields of Mistria Wiki
• Fields of Mistria Tips | Ranching Skills & to Save Time & MAKE MONEY - YouTube

Related Fields of Mistria Guides

• Fields of Mistria: How to Get the Fishing Rod
• Fields of Mistria: How to Get Flour Fast (2026 Guide)
• Fields of Mistria: How to Get Hardened Essence
• Fields of Mistria: How to Get a Shovel Fast