How to Breed Villagers in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Villagers breed when they are willing and an unclaimed bed with at least 2 empty blocks above it is reachable. A villager becomes willing with 3 bread, 12 carrots, 12 potatoes or 12 beetroots in one inventory slot. Throw food at two villagers and wait.

What you need

2 adult villagers
At least 3 valid beds for 2 adults and 1 baby, with 2 empty blocks above each
At least 6 bread total, or 24 carrots, potatoes or beetroots of one kind, shared between both adults
A safe enclosed area

Step by step

Bring 2 adult villagers into a safe enclosed area. Start with at least 3 valid beds: one for each adult and one unclaimed bed for a baby. Job sites are not required for breeding.
Place beds with at least 2 empty blocks above each. Slabs, trapdoors and similar blocks above a bed invalidate it, because mobs treat them as full blocks for pathfinding. Each baby needs a free bed the villager can reach.
Give each adult at least 3 bread, 12 carrots, 12 potatoes or 12 beetroots. Throw the food close enough for them to pick it up, then step away so you do not collect it first. Check that both adults receive food rather than one taking it all.
Wait. Two willing villagers nearby breed and a baby appears. Becoming willing uses up the food even if no baby is born.
After breeding, villagers stop being willing for 5 minutes until they gather enough food again.
A baby villager becomes an adult 20 minutes after birth.

Java vs Bedrock

Java: breeding fails if no unclaimed bed can be reached by pathfinding within 48 blocks, and beds must be within village bounds. Bedrock: a periodic census of the village population decides whether mating continues, and the child's appearance depends on the biome where breeding happens.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note above for differences.

Frequently asked questions

Why won't my villagers breed?

Check for an unclaimed reachable bed, at least 2 empty blocks above the beds, enough food in both adults, and the mobGriefing gamerule. When mobGriefing is false, villagers cannot pick up thrown food. Employed villagers also do not breed during their work schedule, so allow time outside working hours.

What food makes villagers willing to breed?

3 bread, 12 carrots, 12 potatoes or 12 beetroots in one slot of the villager's inventory. Throw it at them so they pick it up. The food is used up when they become willing.

How often can villagers breed?

After a successful breeding, they stop being willing for 5 minutes, until they gather enough food again.