Breeders Guide by Urat

Statement by the Author
Some of the points stated in my guide will go against common belief of many people, but I will ask you to understand that my points and beliefs/theories are based on months of study, large amounts of breeding, and copious amounts of work. Please do not Raise a single bird and then udner that single instance claim my entire works a falsity. Instead, I'd much prefer it if you posted in the Discussion part of the page, that stats of your bird upon entering adulthood, the warmth of the egg, the gender, any abilities, both parents' colors if breeded, where obtained if quested/BCNMd, and I will add it to my study.

You as a reader must understand that there is a remarkably large amount of variables that may influence a bird's color, from affection to gender to egg warmth, to parents color. Please do not think that by raising a single bird that at first glance seems to slightly prove one of my points false, that my entire works is wrong, then proceed to claim my data false. I beseech you.

Urat 02:51, 28 August 2008 (UTC)

Forewarning
Chocobo Raising can be compared to many things. Trying to get a level 75 job. Attempting to get lv 100 goldsmithing. Going after Lu Shang's fishing rod.

All of these things requires heaping amounts of gil, large amounts of time, and dedication. Do not expect to simply drop an egg at the stables, come back a month later and magically have a prize winning bird. You will be expected to visit the stables almost every day, spend tonnes of cash to speed things up, and dedicate nearly a year of time to cap your bird completely.

If you are not up to this challenge, you will end up wasting time and moeny better spent on leveling your job, or getting those last merits you need.

Introduction: The Three Birds
When it comes to Chocobo Raising. There are three distinct categories your bird can fit into. The Racer, The Digger, and the Average Joe.

The Racer
Racer birds tend to be blue, black, or red. These fast and dexterous chocobos are raised in the attempt to strike it big at the chocobo circuit, where prize money can extend all the way up to 100K pot races. It is every Jockey's dream to one day obtain the title of ChocoChampion and have that big trophy sitting in their mog house.

One can mark the tell tale signs of a racer through certain bodily features.

Racer birds tend to have larger, stronger legs, built for faster running and quick sprinting.

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They also occasionally have a much more extended and grown out plume of tail feathers, granting them an edge on the track via enhanced steering and balance.

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The Digger
Digger birds, on the other hand, are often green to help blend in with their surroundings. These birds are often slower and more careful of their footing, due to thew treacherous places they often must travel with their rider to dig up the truly rare treasures. Their are no true trophies or prizes for the digger to obtain, but as a great digger once said, "Opening up that treasure chest and seeing the glow of gil was the greatest prize for me and my bird."

Often Chocobo bred for digging will inherit a much larger beak with a hooked end, an adaption by chocobos to aid them in the penetration of deep undergrowth in the search of goodies. They also have a much more acute Olfactory sense, granting them the ability to literally smell treasure and buried objects.

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An example of this sense at play is the enhancement of it to find a VCS crate in the game of Chocobo Hot and Cold through the use of a Tandjana Wildgrass.

The Average Joe
These chocobo are often yellow, and the result of a breeder who could not decide on a racer or digger, and opted instead to raise a simple bird meant for menial tasks, from hauling a cart, to a quick way out of an unsavoury place when a rental bird is nowhere near.

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Unlike Diggers or Racers, The Average Joe bird has no real true way to make money, though on the other hand, is practically free to raise.

The Plans
To begin, there are two distinct raising stratagies to raise a great bird, the racer, and the digger, of course.

Racer Plan
Raising a racing chocobo involves feeding heaping supplies of Vomp carrots, taking it for many many walks, and pretty much requires you to breed it from 2 parents with canter and gallop, as having lv 1 discernment make sit impossible to learn these abilities.

There is an expensive and hard way to learn an ability with your bird, but we'll cover that at day 50.

Digger Plan
Raising a digger is much easier than a racer. The harder part comes after maturity in the Hot and cold Game, which is one of the few things in the game that actually requires a degree of skill from the player them self to progress in.

Day 0: The Egg
There are several ways to obtain an egg, whether it's a BCNM, quested, or breeded, it really doesn't matter when it coems to raising stats though, so how you get it doesn't matter.

Trade the egg in to a stable leader, and your delving into the world of Chcoobos Begins.

Days 1-4: The Wait
All you can do is wait and watch over the egg. It is highly suggested you watch over it a total of 100 times by day 4 so the chick hatches with capped affection.

Days 5-18: The Cuteness!
These first 13 days are relatively easy for you. Simply, walk your chick every day, keep it on its set care plan, and hope for color. If your raising a racer and it doesn't have any abilities, and you aren't willing to vest a few hundred K in increasing discernment, try again.

Racer Plan
Keep your chick on Walk Through Town care plan for the entire two weeks straight. Feed it 3 vomp carrots every day, and if you do it right, you will have a high chance of obtaining a red or blue bird, possibly black.

Please refer to the advanced information located at the end to find out color theories and such.

The Digger Plan
Same method as the racer, keep your bird on Listening to Music for all 13 days, feed it 3 Zegham Carrots a day, and you may get a green bird if you're lucky.

Days 19-30: Color?
Today is the day you get to find out what color your bird is. If you did everything right, had high stat parents, and were a wonderful parent, it is highly likely your bird has colored tips for feathers.

Now what?

Racer Plan
Step up your plan to Delivering Packages, and feed it 1 Azouph Green and 2 Vomp Carrots Every day, 2 greens and 1 carrot if it's affection dips due to an ailment. On this, you'll find your bird's stats quickly begin to skyrocket.

If you manage to get its strength or endurance to average, you'll be blessed with a bird with either large tail feathers or massive legs.

Digger Plan
If you like the way a bird with the hooked beak looks, you'll want to entirely focus on Discernment. Leave Receptivity until after the adult stage to obtain this. Focus entirely on playing with Chocobos and feeding it 2 Zegham Carrots and 1 Azouph green a day.

Days 31-60: The Grind
This is where the chicks are separated form the chocobos. You'll need to keep your bird on a rigorous plan to cap its stats, work it to the boen every day, and spend tonnes of cash on food and chocotrains.

Racer Plan
Once your bird is capable of placing 1st place in the easy races, and 2nd in the normal races, start racing. Lots. Try to rack up 1000 chocobucks by the time your bird's strength and endurance is capped. Also stockpiling discernment chocotrains is highly recommended. Once your bird hits First-Class strength and endurance, pump it up with discernment training, and try to get your discernment to average- above average ASAP. Then finish off by teaching your bird its abilities, and you'll be very close to having a powerful bird.

Digger Plan
As soon as your bird hits adulthood, get your Chocobo Whistle, sign up for Hot and Cold, and get to work! Try and get in your daily session of HaC every day. The sooner you get the dune and Jungle chocographs the better. All the while Save all the chocobucks you get from your VCS crates.

You'll want to switch to digging for treasure care plan until your bird is capped in the discernment department, then move on to receptivity via acting in a play. Spend your chocobucks to cap these two stats.

Days 61-118: Retirement
Congratulations on getting this far. Your bird is now above average, but far from being the best. It will take hard work and determination to get past this final hurdle. Good luck!

Racer Plan
By now you should have your bird on permanent Basic Care. Spend all your chocobucks on either capping discernment, or getting average Receptivity. You'll also want to have at least the Ghysal Medal and C3-2 races unlocked by now. Try and unlock C1 races and prepare yourself for the ultimate race VS the notorious white chocobo in the Pashow Circuit.

Pulling this off will net you the title of ChocoChampion, and Beating the C1 will get you the title of Crystal Stakes Cupholder, and a wonderfully huge cup for your mog house. congratulations, chocojockey! You have achieved what many dream of!

Digger Plan
Not much to put here. Digging chocobos make wonderful companions for capping your digging skill, but the Chocobo Hot and cold game can net you some very surprisingly big money making items in Altepa Desert. As I stated at the beginning, their is very little glamour, but still good rewards, when it comes to digging.

(more to come)