Drecko

Dreckos are ranchable critters found crawling through cavities in the Caustic Biome. They cling to surfaces, roam the full perimeter of whatever room they are trapped in, and are not hostile, though they will fight back if attacked. A Drecko drops 2 kg of Meat on death, and its natural lifespan is 150 cycles.

They have two variants: the normal Drecko and the Glossy Drecko. Both share the same general behavior, but they differ in what they produce when sheared and in the plants they prefer to eat. Dreckos are useful because they can turn planted food into Phosphorite, and when kept in a Hydrogen atmosphere they regrow their scales for repeated harvesting.

Dreckos eat from growing plants and can reduce a plant’s growth percentage directly, including plants that are ready to harvest. They can feed from Farm Tiles, Hydroponic Farms, and Planter Boxes. For tame Dreckos, each feeding consumes a large share of the plant’s growth; for normal Dreckos this is less than for Glossy Dreckos, so keeping a steady plant supply matters. Because they can eat harvest-ready crops, disabling Auto-Harvest is often useful when ranching them around valuable plants.

A normal Drecko can eat Pincha Pepperplant, Balm Lily, and Mealwood. Feeding them these plants produces Phosphorite. When fed primarily Mealwood, Dreckos have a chance to produce Glossy Drecko eggs, which is the usual path into plastic production. Glossy Dreckos share the same ranching behavior, but they eat only Mealwood and Bristle Blossom and produce Plastic when sheared instead of Reed Fiber.

For ranching, Dreckos need access to living plants and a proper gas environment. They only produce Reed Fiber or Plastic while in Hydrogen, and their scales regrow faster when they remain fully immersed in it. A common setup for Reed Fiber uses a three-layer stable: Chlorine below for Balm Lily, Oxygen in the middle for duplicant access, and Hydrogen above for scale growth. For plastic, a hydrogen layer above Mealwood is enough to keep Glossy Dreckos productive, and a sealed room is not strictly required if hydrogen is maintained by other means.

Useful ranching notes:

• Dreckos grow scales only while in Hydrogen, so a stable without Hydrogen will not produce fiber or plastic.
• Normal Dreckos are suited to Reed Fiber production; Glossy Dreckos are suited to Plastic.
• Dreckos can help clean up Chlorine from Rust Deoxidizers when raised with Dasha Saltvine, since each Deoxidizer can support several saltvines.
• Overcrowding reduces efficiency, so room size and egg count matter when building a breeding stable.
• Dreckos are awkward to keep productive in Mealwood farms because their ranching heat can slowly raise the room temperature and stop Mealwood growth if it is not managed.

A wild Drecko takes 24 cycles to mature, while a domesticated Drecko takes 6 cycles. Eggs incubate faster in a powered incubator, and an incubated Drecklet matures into a Drecko after 5 cycles. When groomed properly, Dreckos regenerate their wool fast enough for regular shearing, making them one of the earliest renewable sources of Reed Fiber, Phosphorite, and eventually Plastic.