To breed and raise baby dinosaurs in ARK: Survival Evolved, you need to first ensure you have a male and female dinosaur of the same species. Then, build a nest and place the fertilized eggs inside. You will need to carefully monitor the egg's temperature and hatch it successfully to raise a baby dinosaur.
How to Breed and Raise Baby Dinosaurs in ARK: Survival Evolved
First, to breed dinosaurs in ARK: Survival Evolved, you need to find a male and female dinosaur of the same species that are breedable. You can check if a dinosaur is breedable by looking at its information page, where it will show a mating cooldown timer if it's ready to breed. Once you have a suitable pair, you need to build a nesting box called a Dino Pen to house them for breeding.
When you're ready to start breeding, place the two dinosaurs inside the Dino Pen and enable wandering on both dinosaurs. This is crucial to allow them to mate. Make sure the female is set to "Enable Mating" as well. Once wandering is enabled, a mating bar will appear over the female dinosaur's head, indicating that mating has begun. Keep an eye on them during this time as they need to be close together to successfully mate.
Incubating Dinosaur Eggs
After the dinosaurs have successfully mated, the female will lay a fertilized egg. You need to carefully pick up the egg before it spoils. To hatch the egg, you have two options: either let it incubate naturally or use various tools to speed up the process. You can create a room with air conditioners and torches to regulate the temperature for natural incubation, or use a combination of standing torches and campfires placed strategically around the egg. Alternatively, you can use the most efficient method, the Dino Egg Incubator, which guarantees a stable temperature for successful incubation.
During incubation, you need to protect the egg from harm, as any damage could result in its destruction. You can also use the "Hatchery" mod, allowing you to manually control the incubator and monitor its progress. Once the egg reaches the final stages of incubation, it will start to wiggle, indicating that it's about to hatch.
Raising Baby Dinosaurs
Once the egg hatches, you will have a baby dinosaur that requires care and attention to survive. The first thing you need to do is imprint on the baby, which involves feeding it specific foods or interacting with it at various intervals. Imprinting is crucial as it strengthens the bond between you and the dinosaur and provides various bonuses as the dinosaur grows.
Feeding the baby dinosaur is essential for its survival and growth. Different species of dinosaurs have different food requirements, so make sure you have the right food on hand. You can use a Feeding Trough to ensure the baby dinosaur has a constant supply of food while you're offline. As the baby grows, its food consumption will increase, so keep an eye on its hunger meter to avoid starvation.
Another important aspect of raising baby dinosaurs is maintaining their environment. Ensure the baby dinosaur is in a safe and secure area, free from predators that could pose a threat. You can build a small enclosure or pen to protect the baby dinosaur while it grows. Additionally, make sure the environment is suitable for the dinosaur's specific needs, such as temperature and lighting.
In summary, breeding and raising baby dinosaurs in ARK: Survival Evolved requires careful planning, attention to detail, and patience. By following the steps outlined above, you can successfully breed dinosaurs, hatch their eggs, and raise healthy baby dinosaurs to adulthood.