Food trickle efficiency: Ice House vs Corral + Cows

[ffm2]

I was recently calculating whats a better investment for food trickle, a ice house or a farmstead and cows garrisoned.

 

ICE HOUSE (Limit: 5)

Base building:
  Cost:       100 stone, 100 wood
  Build time: 60 s
  Trickle:    1 food / 2 s   (0.5 food/s)

Aqueduct upgrade:
  Cost:        300 stone, 300 wood
  Research:    40 s
  Trickle:     2 food / 2 s  (1.0 food/s)


5 ICE HOUSES (max):

  5 × (100 stone + 100 wood) = 500 stone, 500 wood
  1 × (300 stone + 300 wood) = 300 stone, 300 wood

  Total resources:  1600
  Total trickle:    5 food/s

  Cost per 1 food/s:
  1600 / 5 = 320 resources


CORRAL + COWS (Limit: 50 cows)

Corral:
  Cost:        100 wood
  Build time:  50 s
  Capacity:    8 cows

Cows:
  Cost:        150 food
  Produce:     60 s
  Trickle:     3 food / 3 s  (1.0 food/s)


7 CORRALS + 50 COWS (max cows):

  7 × 100 wood         =   700 wood
  50 × 150 food        =  7500 food

  Total resources:       8200
  Total trickle:         50 food/s

  Cost per 1 food/s:
  8200 / 50 = 164 resources


Summary:
Ice House:      320 resources per 1 food/s
Corral + Cows:  164 resources per 1 food/s

 

Corrals win by far. I think the ice houses should be better considering they are a civ specialty.

Edited 1 hour ago by ffm2