One of the most popular mods for Stardew Valley is giving players the option of befriending Shane's pet chicken. Shane's behavior is also tweaked slightly if married to the player with the mod installed. This is on top of the mountain of additional content the mod has added since release - and in the same update.
While Stardew Valley itself is still being updated, many fans have created their own mods for the game. Perhaps the largest and most popular of these is the Stardew Valley Expanded mod. Created by FlashShifter, the mod adds new events, characters, and locations. It also includes gameplay refinements. It's almost a completely separate game of its own but is still recognizably Stardew Valley.
The 1.13.9 update for Stardew Valley Expanded will allow players to befriend Shane's chicken, Charlie, according to PC Gamer. After clearing Shane's 8-heart event, Charlie will follow him or his relatives (Jas and Marnie) throughout town. Charlie is considered a non-social NPC, meaning he won't grow more affectionate with the player as they interact. He'd be more akin to the base game's Gunther in that regard.
According to the patch notes on Reddit, Shane's post-marriage room will change. Originally, the room is extremely messy, with beer cans and footprints everywhere. After his 14-heart event, however, the room will be cleaned up and look overall more presentable. He'll also start disliking alcoholic beverages after this event. Instead, he'll be more amicable towards produce for his chickens. To help make this change feel more natural, a 12-heart event has also been added.
This attention to Shane is unsurprising. He was already one of the most popular characters in the base Stardew Valley. His surprisingly realistic story of depression and secret chicken hobby gave him a great deal of depth. This popularity eventually made him a full, romanceable bachelor. It makes sense that FlashShifter would want to expand on his already complex character. (Of course, the ability to raise Shane's special blue chickens after befriending him certainly didn't hurt.)
Befriending a chicken NPC may not sound like much. In fact, being affectionate with the farmer's livestock is encouraged, as it rewards the player with higher-quality products. But it's an additional way to make the potential romance between Shane and the player that much more believable. It also gives Marnie and Jas more of a connection to Shane outside of story events. Above all else, though: it's adorable. And for a game as wholesome and charming as Stardew Valley, that means more than one might think.
Stardew Valley is available now for all major platforms.
Source: PC Gamer, FlashShifter/Twitter, FlashShifter/Reddit
