I personally like to keep chickens using two different methods:
Tossing a ton of them in the Overgrowth and letting them do their thing. Keeping chickens in coops in key areas (and away from pens full of carnivorous slimes) for easy access.
You’ll probably be most comfortable keeping your chickens in a coop, which costs a mere 250 Newbucks to build and a mere 1,275 total to get up and running efficiently between its three basic upgrades.
There is a fourth chicken coop upgrade that will grant a huge boost to your chicken production and make taking care of them easier overall: the Deluxe Upgrade.
The Deluxe Coop allows for double the chickens in a coop. Not only that, but it sucks up elder chickens to keep your chicken production moving. Very handy!
How to Unlock the Deluxe Coop Upgrade
The Deluxe Upgrade for the chicken coop isn’t available until you unlock the Mochi’s Manor ranch expansion, and then begin trading.
How to Unlock Mochi’s Manor
Mochi’s Manor can only be unlocked once you:
Open one of the two Slime Gates highlighted in the image below this list. Unlock the Grotto ranch expansion. Trade with Mochi via the Range Exchange, after doing the above.
How to Get the Upgrade
Once you’ve done all of the above and Mochi’s ready to partner up with you for big Newbucks, it’s time to get to work at Nimble Valley. Nimble Valley should open up when Mochi’s Manor is open.
You have to trade Mochi a total of 600 Quicksilver Plorts to unlock the Deluxe Coop upgrade, at her personal Range Exchange at Mochi’s Manor.
Quicksilver Plorts are collected at Nimble Valley, and you’ll have limited time to collect them each time you head inside. Nimble Valley works differently from the rest of Far, Far Range and you cannot suck up Quicksilver Slimes to take back to the ranch.
Once you unlock the Deluxe Coop, you’ll be able to upgrade your chicken coops to the new and improved version for a small 650 Newbucks.
Check out our other Slime Rancher guides here on GameSkinny.
