Hitching posts and compact pens

[Ogare 74]

I'm confused on where to place a hitching post so animals will either eat from the post or from the tile the post is on. I intend to make 1x1 pens. I like the post because it stops animals from moving around which can pack a tile.

 

In this picture I'm next to a hitching post I did a move to center on. I'd think the toon is at the post's actual location.

https://snipboard.io/uK5xVr.jpg

[SmeJack 5,796]

I move to center then push it 9 times forward, looks fine and works just as well for me

[Zarwaddim 42]

Just a couple of questions (genuinely curious - Steam N00b): I assume that an animal can eat from that field even though it looks blocked? Otherwise, why have the field in the pen (other than it's your only space to have a farm tile)? Also, and this is counterintuitive with your idea (blocking the animal from packing the tile), isn't the field enough to field the animal - so why have a hitching post? Thanks.

[Ogare 74]

1 hour ago, Zarwaddim said:

I assume that an animal can eat from that field even though it looks blocked

the post doesn't block the animal from eating from the field.

 

1 hour ago, Zarwaddim said:

isn't the field enough to field the animal - so why have a hitching post?

First is as I said before, I don't want the animal moving around because it will pack the field.

Second, fields only feed well when they are older. A freshly planted field gets destroyed in one graze. I plan to use the trough when the field is young.