Chocobo Raising Guide

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Raising Your Chocobo

This is some information on raising your chocobo:

Forewarning

Please be aware that when your chocobo first grows up, it will not be faster then a rental chocobo. Do not expect to be running laps around someone no matter how hard you try, it will take time and probably multiple generations to get the fastest chocobo.
Don't be afraid to be stingy on feed, your chocobo won't care if you give it Gysahl Greens or Azouph Greens. As a reminder though, while the additional effect of foods is small, it is slightly noticeable if given in large quantities.
You won't be guaranteed a colored chocobo.
You can not call a chocobo in any area that you can not normally ride one. For example: The Northlands, Caedarva Mire, Tu'Lia among many others.

What you will Need to Raise your Chocobo

These are the things that will be required over the month of your chocobo raising. All of the items can be purchased from the Auction House in your city.

29 days in which to check on your chocobo.
Between 8-12 stacks of Chocobo Feed
If your chocobo gets sick, two of the Medicinal Feed is recommended
Possibly a Chocolixir or two for when your chocobo becomes an adult.
A lot of patience

Obtaining an Egg

Currently, Chocobo Eggs can be obtained from certain Sanction battlefields (ISNM), Dabih Jajalioh in Ru'lude Gardens, or by completing the quest Chocobo on the Loose!. While there is only one item, "Chocobo Egg", there are multiple descriptions hinting that it may affect breed.

Chocobo Stages

These are the stages that your chocobo will go through to reach maturity. As appears so far, most cutscenes and personality differences are random in occurrence. Do not be upset if your chocobo does not develop a personality until late in its development.

Egg

After obtaining a chocobo egg, head to one of the starting cities' chocobo stables and trade the egg to the Vana'diel Chocobo Society trainer located inside. From there, you can watch your chocobo grow!
The only care plan option is Basic Care
Your only care option is Watch over the Chocobo
The egg cycle is 4 real life days. (96 Earth hours)

Each day, exactly 24 earth hours after the last, you will recieve a cutscene in which the VCS Trainer will update you on your chocobo's condition. If you miss a day, any missed cutscenes will be given the next time you talk to the VCS Trainer.

On day 4 your egg will hatch into a young chocobo.

Chick

The care plan now includes Basic Care, Rest, Take a Walk in Town, Listen to Music
You may name your chocobo by combining two of the Chocobo Names up to 15 characters.
You may now Feed your chocobo. To Feed your chocobo, trade the chocobo food or medication to the VCS Trainer.
Your care options are Watch over the Chocobo and Go on a Walk (short).
During this phase of its life, your chocobo may develop many Personalities. Some will last for only a day, others will remain for longer periods of time. The effects of the Personalities is unknown at this time.
You may receive a second cutscene in which the VCS Trainer states, "Your chocobo seems pretty perky today. It should respond to anything you give it". The current belief on this is that it is the day on which to feed your chocobo a worm.
The chick cycle is 2 weeks Earth time.

For the first 2 days, the VCS Trainer will give you regular updates on your chocobo, mentioning what care plan it was on. In this phase you may begin to get a second cutscene in which your chocobo may be ill. If this occurs just follow the instructions given by the VCS Trainer.

Day 7: After another 24 hours, talk to the NPC again for a cutscene showing your chick.

You will get a cutscene in which the NPC will mention that your chocobo has been crying at night. You will receive a key item called a White Handkerchief. Wait until the after midnight of the next Vana'diel day, then zone and come back. You will now be able to use the handkerchief with your scent on it and it the Chocobo Trainer will take it back from you. It is rumored that if you are too late, the chocobo trainer will use his own item to make the chick get better and your handkerchief will just simply be taken.

From day 8-19: You will get regular updates, sometimes getting an ill cutscene and sometimes getting the perky cutscene. On day 19 your chocobo will grow into a Adolescent Chocobo.

Adolescent

The care plan options now include Exercise Alone, Exercise in a Group, Play with Children, Play with Other Chocobos, Carry Packages and Exhibit to the Public.
Personal care options now include Tell a Story, Scold the Chocobo and Go on a Walk (regular)
After your first regular walk, you will meet three other trainers who challenge you to a competition. This opens the Personal care option, Compete against Others.
Your chocobo may now become bored. Use the new Compete against Others to race and remedy its boredom (like other conditions, your chocobo's mood will not update until the next day).
The color tips of your chocobo indicate that your chocobo has a small chance of being that color when full grown. Don't expect it as the occurrence rate seems low.
The Adolescent cycle is 10 earth days.

For the next 10 days you will get regular Chocobo update cutscenes, occasionaly getting ill or bored cutscenes. On day 29 your chocobo will become an adult.

Adult

You receive the care plans Deliver Messages, Dig for Treasure and Act in a Play
You receive the personal care option long walk.
Your Chocobo is now rideable. Complete the mini quest Obtaining your Chocobo Whistle to obtain your Chocobo Whistle.

After obtaining your Chocobo Whistle, you must register your chocobo in your city.

You may now retire your chocobo. Doing so will allow you to begin raising a new chocobo.
You can continue to improve the stats of your chocobo. (After an unknown period of time, your chocobo will "auto retire"; at this time its stats are permanent and you may begin to raise another chocobo.)
You can now get a Chococard. This is used for breeding with another chocobo in Jeuno. More information is pending.
The stop chocobo raising option is removed at this time.
Currently, the time before retirement is unknown.

Until your chocobo retires, you are able to continue to improve its stats. You will be updated daily on your chocobo's status, as well, all cutscenes from the young chocobo phase will still occur in this phase.

On or around day 43, you may recieve a message "Your chocobos attributes are at its peak." It is currently unknown what this means.

Note: Your chocobo's stats can still increase even after you get the above messege.

Chocobo Attributes

Each chocobo has 6 main attributes:

Strength - is a term used to describe the chocobo's leg power. The more strength a chocobo has, the faster it will be able to run. Rental chocobos have been raised with an emphasis on this attribute.
Endurance - is a term used to describe the chocobo's stamina. If your chocobo has high endurance, you will be able to ride it for a long period of time.

Both strength and endurance are collectively referred to as "Physical attributes".

Discernment - is a must for anyone who wants their chocobo to learn new abilities. You may want to consider raising this attribute if you are interested in digging for treasure.
Receptivity - is a term used to describe the chocobo's sensitivity when dealing with others. You can foster receptivity in your chocobo by giving it lots of opportunities to communicate with other chocobos.

Both discernment and receptivity are collectively referred to as "Mental attributes".

Energy - is a term used to describe the amount of power the chocobo needs to stay active for the day. If your chocobo has a lot of energy, care plans are more likely to be successful and you can provide more direct care for your chocobo. You can restore your chocobo's energy by feeding it, so remember not to skip out on feeding time after a demanding schedule!
Affection - is the most important attribute of all. Your care schedule will fall flat if you don't show your chocobo proper affection! You can raise your chocobo's affection by feeding it greens and caring for it on a regular basis. Affection is split into several levels:
- level 1 - not care about you at all
- level 2 - be able to endure your company
- level 3 - slightly enjoy your company
- level 4 - like being around you
- level 5 - like you pretty well
- level 6 - like you a lot
- level 7 - want to be with you all the time
- level 8 - regard you as its parent

Each attribute has several levels:
- level 1 - Poor
- level 2 - Substandard
- level 3 - A bit deficient
- level 4 - Average
- level 5 - Better than average
- level 6 - Impressive
- level 7 - Outstanding
- level 8 - First-class

Chocobo Abilities

Each chocobo can learn 2 out of 5 abilities. They can be obtained by choosing an option Tell a Story to a chocobo. The abilities are:

Gallop (Story of an Impatient Chocobo)
Canter (Story of a Curious Chocobo)
Burrow (Story of a Worrysome Chocobo) adds a few different items to digging
Bore (Story of a Youthful Chocobo)
Auto-Regen (Story of a Happy Chocobo ) - increases the rate at which your chocobo restores energy

When an ability is learned, the corresponding story key item disappears and the chocobo health bar is restored by 20-50%. After 2 stories have been learned, your chocobo can still "learn" more stories which will disappear, but it will not actually learn the corresponding abilities anymore.