Villagers are one of the friendly creatures in Minecraft, a well-known sandbox survival game, not only toward players but also other villagers. What’s more, when attacked, instead of fighting back, they tend to run away and, if possible, hide in one of their houses. Their existence is also useful for trading individually, filling up villager trading halls, or creating an iron golem farm. Their value is even greater because the item they provide, Emerald, is one of the rarest in-game materials. Now that you know a few reasons to do so, let’s get into how to breed villagers in Minecraft.
1. Find villagers to breed in Minecraft
Unless you enter Creative Mode, you cannot spawn a Minecraft villager. So, you’ll have to find a village in Minecraft first. Then, you must ensure that there are at least 2 villagers present.
2. Limit their movement
Villagers must be close to procreate, and they tend to wander around. So, you’ll have to create a makeshift prison for them. The room must be 3 blocks tall (ceiling being the 4th block), with (preferably) one entrance. Do not make and place a Wooden Door, since they can open it and escape. Use an Iron Door, Fence Gate, or a Trapdoor.
3. Place beds
Place 3 beds in the villagers’ vicinity. They can be separated or next to each other, but there must be a clearance of 2 blocks above each bed.
4. Trade with them
In the past updates, this step wasn’t necessary. But in later updates, you must “unlock” the ability to perform step 5 by trading. Research suggests that doing a trade with a villager that you haven’t done before has a 100% chance of unlocking it. If you’ve already done that particular trade with the villager, the chance is 20%.
5. Throw food to make Minecraft villagers breed
To enter Love Mode, villagers must gain sufficient “willingness” to procreate. They are ready to breed when they have any of these food items in a single inventory slot:
- 3x Bread
- 12x Potato
- 12x Beetroot
- 12x Carrot
5. Wait for the baby villager to appear
Once they’re willing to mate and are in the vicinity of beds, you’ll see red hearts above both of their heads. A moment later, a baby villager will spawn on one of the beds. Congratulations, you learned how villagers procreate in Minecraft.
6. Repeat breeding of villagers in Minecraft (Optional)
A baby villager takes 20 minutes (real-time) to grow into an adult. Unlike breeding horses in Minecraft, this can’t be sped up. Also, villagers consume the food items you gave them and lose the “willingness” to breed for a while. So, to increase their number, you’ll have to make more free space, and add more beds so that 3 are free at all times.
Can I automate Minecraft villager breeding?
Yes, you can create a Minecraft villager farm. Villagers who exceed the number of food items required (typically farmer villagers) throw it to nearby villagers who lack it. Moreover, if you add a water source, use a Hoe to till dirt and grass blocks, and plant seeds for whichever food item you like, villagers will loot it when it grows. Be warned that the chunks must be loaded for procreation to happen, so breeding won’t occur if you’re too far.