What is the most valuable animal in a zombie apocalypse?

[Brandon354]

Keep in mind factors such as how nice of a companion it makes, how much care it needs, if it is prone to being frightened and creating a lot of noise, can it produce something ex: milk, how much can it haul, can it help you out in a bad situation, transport,etc 

 

side note: since they aren't putting zombie animals into the game assume animals are immune to the infection (can still be killed by ripping, tearing, and chomping).

 

I am unsure at this point but I wanted other people's input.

[Austin]

Probably a horse. Fast and more silent way of traveling?

[magnum2016]

Well considering i am a hunter i would say Deer, 1 deer could last me a long long time

 

Cows and such would take food and supplies to keep up and a good eating...

[Kajin]

Horses require a truly MASSIVE amount of energy and effort to care for them and they get scared by the slightest bit of provocation. If you tried to ride them through a zombie infested town, odds are good you'd be bucked to the ground and left for zombie chow in under a minute unless you're a rider with years of experience.

 

Cows are probably the worst animal you could have. They take up a large amount of grazing land. Land which is almost certainly unavailable for use. They takes years to grow to a respectable size and would almost assuredly be eaten before you get much milk out of them. If you want animals for meat, pigs would be better. They're omnivores and can be fed leftover dinner scraps as a supplement. Also it only takes them a few months to get to a good size, so they'd be ready to slaughter a lot sooner.

 

I'd say goats and chickens would be most useful. Chickens could be fed from your crops or left to roam around a small area to feed themselves on insects and the like to reduce the need to feed them somewhat. The meat and eggs would be greatly useful. Goats would be a better source of milk over cows as they don't require as much space, they're very resilient against disease, and they're very capable of taking care of themselves in the wild in case the zeds break down the fences and it's every man for themselves.

[Realmkeeper]

Mmm, I'd probably have to avoid the obvious ones like a dog, a hamster, or a horse.

 

Maybe a Dragon.

It would scare off (or toast, or tear to shreds) the Z's, and you could probably ride it round.

It's a guard, transport, and a companion!

 

Seriously though, I'd imagine the most valuable animal to have as a companion would be something that could alert you to nearby zombies, or wake you from your sleep, without attracting more of the buggers.

The most valuable in post-outbreak currency terms would probably something that was a reliable source of food, without requiring too much resources to keep it alive or contained.

[RoboMat]

Probably a T-Rex ... he would f*** up any horde that stood in his way.

[Realmkeeper]

Horses require a truly MASSIVE amount of energy and effort to care for them and they get scared by the slightest bit of provocation. If you tried to ride them through a zombie infested town, odds are good you'd be bucked to the ground and left for zombie chow in under a minute unless you're a rider with years of experience.

 

Cows are probably the worst animal you could have. They take up a large amount of grazing land. Land which is almost certainly unavailable for use. They takes years to grow to a respectable size and would almost assuredly be eaten before you get much milk out of them. If you want animals for meat, pigs would be better. They're omnivores and can be fed leftover dinner scraps as a supplement. Also it only takes them a few months to get to a good size, so they'd be ready to slaughter a lot sooner.

 

I'd say goats and chickens would be most useful. Chickens could be fed from your crops or left to roam around a small area to feed themselves on insects and the like to reduce the need to feed them somewhat. The meat and eggs would be greatly useful. Goats would be a better source of milk over cows as they don't require as much space, they're very resilient against disease, and they're very capable of taking care of themselves in the wild in case the zeds break down the fences and it's every man for themselves.

On that note, what about sheep?

Assuming the zombies don't try ripping into the sheep for a feed, their herding instincts would keep your flock relatively close together should they bust out of your enclosure. Although, like cows, they can require a lot of grazing land, but similar to goats they can graze in woodlands and other less cultivated places.

Sheep would provide you with wool for weaving (or stuffing down your shirt/pants for warmth at the very least), as well as a decent feed if you need to slaughter one.

They don't take too long to reach maturity, and can give birth to lambs without the intervention of humans.

[Brandon354]

I'd say goats and chickens would be most useful. Chickens could be fed from your crops or left to roam around a small area to feed themselves on insects and the like to reduce the need to feed them somewhat. The meat and eggs would be greatly useful. Goats would be a better source of milk over cows as they don't require as much space, they're very resilient against disease, and they're very capable of taking care of themselves in the wild in case the zeds break down the fences and it's every man for themselves.

I never would have thought of using goats in the apocalypse but from your description it sounds like they could prove valuable

[Aricane]

Probably an elephant. But it's hard riding it without proper equipment. I'm not a elephant shrink though, so I have no idea if it would panic or just get plain pissed at zombies

[RoboMat]

Probably an elephant. But it's hard riding it without proper equipment. I'm not a elephant shrink though, so I have no idea if it would panic or just get plain pissed at zombies

 

You'd be screwed if there were zombie mice though

[Hrv123]

Hawk, to do hunting of small game for me while I chop trees and cook

[Kajin]

Hawk, to do hunting of small game for me while I chop trees and cook

You'd have to find a hawk nest, steal a hawk egg, and raise the baby hawk as your own. Then you'd have to train it properly. Maybe with the help of an animal training skill book.

 

But seriously. All of the yes. An experienced falconer would be a great boon for any group of people.

[Shivster]

Depends on what kind of animal you are looking for.

 

Attack animal: Alaskan timber Wolf(I own one. great guard animals he is trained to trip and mount people. Not to bite unless attacked.) They take a lot of care and can eat pounds of food a day. Could be trained to distract zombies.

 

Food animal: A goat. Produces milk and eats cardboard and other refuge so great garbage disposal. Easy to breed average to low gestation for breeding

 

Mount/Pack: Miniature Pony. Smaller then a horse and less food to keep alive. Can still carry 300 to 400ish pounds.

[Kajin]

On that note, what about sheep?

Sheep could be useful, yeah. We'd need to try and get new clothing at some point, and the wool would be pretty useful.

 

I never would have thought of using goats in the apocalypse but from your description it sounds like they could prove valuable

Goats be awesome. I'd definitely prefer them over cows in a survival situation like this. Their milk has a different chemical structure and as such there isn't as much need to pasteurize it. They can eat plants that most other herbivores would be poisoned by. They have one of the widest diet ranges of farming animals so they can eat most anything, but they prefer eating woody shrubs or off of trees so they wouldn't interfere too much with the grazing habits of other animals if you have a bit of woodland area fenced off inside your survivor compound.

[lukaus]

but goat milk is nasssssssty.

 

And I don't recommend goat-cheesecake.

[Brandon354]

but goat milk is nasssssssty.

 

And I don't recommend goat-cheesecake

Really? I never tried it so I wouldn't know but, having less chance of getting sick off of it (compared to cow milk) is a huge bonus in a world where top-notch medical care jumped out the window spine first, along with the other stuff kajin mentioned. It is the best animal that produces food (in my opinion) so far that doesn't require the animal to die first.

[Kajin]

if the world had come to an end and the only thing standing in the way of death from starvation is a twenty-three year old holiday fruit cake, I'd give myself fifty-fifty odds of picking either one. The situation would be that serious. Goat milk is an acceptable alternative to starvation regardless of how it tastes.

 

Plus milk is good for making bread, and you can make bread from the cat tail plant that's common Kentucky. I'm not sure how cat tail bread made with goats milk would taste, but most anything is delicious if you're overworked and on the verge of starvation.

[lukaus]

Really? I never tried it so I wouldn't know but, having less chance of getting sick off of it (compared to cow milk) is a huge bonus in a world where top-notch medical care jumped out the window spine first, along with the other stuff kajin mentioned. It is the best animal that produces food (in my opinion) so far that doesn't require the animal to die first.

Don't get me wrong, a goat would be a great choice! It was my first thought when I saw this thread. .... Okay, I thought sabre-toothed tiger first. But anyways, I'm just saying goat milk doesn't taste good. To me, at least. And chomping into some cheesecake expecting wonderfulness only to have the sugary taste replaced with bitterness is not entirely pleasant

[jaYPs]

The problem with keeping animals is that they tend to create noise from time to time especially if they are hungry. And noise is just what zombies are attracted to. If you are living in urban areas it might not be wise to raise animals unless you are in place far far away from the undead.

[Hookem]

THE ultimate guard animal, zeds don't stand a chance!

 

http://youtu.be/pmu5sRIizdw

[RegularX]

Hunter-wise ... you could probably do well with just a cat.  Silent, self-sufficient and drops food on your belly while you sleep.

 

Downside: that food is usually some kind of rodent.

 

Farm-wise: I agree with the goat votes.  Small, good for a variety of goods, and at the end of the day something you can sacrifice to the Elder Gods to get you out of Kentucky (don't ask, long story).

[maebe]

I would have to go with bunnies be the most valuable. You can breed them for meat and have something other then just vegetables all the time. They wont make much noise like other animals and there for will not attract near by zombies.  Also small enough to easily move a pair for future breeding and/or for a pet. Plus if someone wants to steal your bunnies you hide them in a top hat. Then no one can find them and they are safe.

[Kajin]

Why didn't I think of bunnies? They eat grass, and it only takes two weeks for a rabbit to become mature enough to breed.

 

The downsides to keeping them are several, though. Catching a breeding pair would be difficult and a wild untamed rabbit caught in a net would let out an ungodly shriek. They also wouldn't provide a whole lot of meat for a group of survivors, and the meat they do provide has zero fat content. You'd need to supplement some other food into your diet to provide essential calories and fats, though that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

[Hrv123]

After further thinking addition to hawk...

 

also Bees.

You can get from them:

honey as food.

propolis (needs alcohol tincture to be usable), bee natural antibiotic for enything medicine related.

wax for candles

Logistics and sedimentary way of life are almost must.  But in theory bees can fly out from fortified positions by them selfes for pollen colecting and fly back.

 

Third yeast (ok it kind of come from anywhere around by itself) for alcohol and vinager production also must for food preservation and happines in those loong alone nights. Require still device.

 

In any case, animals that do most of work for you and are not dependent on your work for their food giving you more efficient labor.

 

 

And in spark of enlightment come to me it would be most handy to have human slaves for work and entertainment (food too )

[Kajin]

Beehives make a near constant droning noise, taking care of them would require some rather specialized equipment, and you'd have to wait a whole year before any man made nest could grow established enough to the point that taking honey from them wouldn't seriously damage the hive.

 

They'd be damn useful for pollinating large fields of crops, though. Might be worth it for a large and established NPC compound to have one or two nests in their fields.