How to Breed Camels in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Feed cactus to each of two camels. A calf spawns right away, the parents need 5 minutes before breeding again (1 minute in Bedrock), and you get 1-7 XP.

What you need

Cactus (2 per breeding)
2 camels (from desert villages)
A fenced pen

Step by step

Find a camel in a desert village - each desert village spawns with exactly one, sitting in the center. Wild camels do not respawn, so villages are the only source.
Grow cactus on sand (it needs empty space on all four sides), or harvest it from deserts and badlands.
Hold the cactus so the camel follows you, or lead it, and bring two camels together into a pen.
Feed cactus to each camel: hearts appear and a calf spawns, plus 1-7 XP.
The parents can breed again after 5 minutes (1 minute in Bedrock). The calf grows up in 20 minutes; each cactus you feed it cuts the remaining time by 10%. Saddle adults to ride two players at once.

Java vs Bedrock

Breeding works the same in Java and Bedrock except the parents' cooldown: 5 minutes in Java, 1 minute in Bedrock. Although camels eat cactus, they still take damage from touching cactus blocks placed in the world in both editions.

Versions: Camels were added in Trails & Tales (1.20, June 2023). Desert villages still spawn only one camel each, which is exactly why breeding matters.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find a second camel to breed?

Every desert village spawns with one camel, so search the desert for a second village. Camels are huge and sit in the open - easy to spot from a distance or from the air with elytra.

Why breed camels instead of horses?

Camels carry two riders at once, and their height keeps riders out of reach of zombies and most melee mobs. Their dash jump also clears ravines and rivers that stop a horse.

Can I breed a camel husk?

No. The camel husk is a hostile undead variant from the dry-biome cycle that spawns in deserts at night - it cannot be tamed, ridden or bred. Only living village camels breed.