How to Breed Llamas in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Feed a hay bale to each of two tamed llamas. A cria spawns right away, the parents need 5 minutes before breeding again (1 minute in Bedrock), and you get 1-7 XP. The baby inherits one parent's coat and up to the stronger parent's caravan strength.

What you need

2 hay bales (18 wheat)
2 tamed llamas
A fenced pen

Step by step

Tame both llamas first by mounting them repeatedly until hearts appear - untamed llamas cannot breed.
Craft hay bales from 9 wheat each; wheat feeds and heals llamas but cannot put them in love mode.
Lead the llamas into a pen. Leashing one llama pulls nearby llamas into a caravan behind it, so you rarely need two leads.
Feed a hay bale to each tamed llama: hearts appear and a cria spawns, plus 1-7 XP.
The parents can breed again after 5 minutes (1 minute in Bedrock). The cria grows up in 20 minutes; hay bales or wheat cut the remaining time. Its strength (chest slots, 3 to 15) is random up to the stronger parent's strength, with a small chance of +1.

Java vs Bedrock

Breeding works the same in Java and Bedrock except the parents' cooldown: 5 minutes in Java, 1 minute in Bedrock. Offspring strength is random between 1 and the stronger parent's strength in both editions, with a 3% chance of one extra point (capped at 5).

Versions: Llamas were added in the Exploration Update (1.11, 2016), and trader llamas arrived with wandering traders in 1.14. Trader llamas can be bred too, and their babies are normal llamas.

Frequently asked questions

Why breed llamas?

Strength. A llama's strength stat (1-5) sets its chest capacity from 3 to 15 slots, and breeding two strong llamas can raise a caravan's hauling power. A full caravan of strength-5 llamas moves 150 stacks.

Can I breed llamas with wheat?

No. Wheat heals llamas and speeds a cria's growth, but only hay bales trigger love mode. Wheat also cannot be used to lead them.

Why do llamas spit at me?

Llamas spit when attacked, and wild ones spit at wolves on sight. Tamed llamas only spit back if provoked - their spit does 1 damage, more annoying than dangerous.