How to Breed Horses and Donkeys in Minecraft: A Comprehensive Guide
Breeding horses and donkeys in Minecraft isn't as straightforward as simply placing them next to each other. It requires a bit of preparation and understanding of the game's mechanics. This guide will walk you through the process, answering common questions along the way.
What You'll Need:
- Two compatible animals: You need at least one horse and one donkey to breed a mule. To breed horses, you need two horses. For donkeys, you need two donkeys.
- Golden Apples or Golden Carrots: These are the essential breeding items. Golden apples are slightly more effective. You'll need to feed each animal one.
Step-by-Step Breeding Process:
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Gather your Golden Apples or Golden Carrots: This requires smelting apples in a furnace with gold ingots to create golden apples, or crafting carrots on a crafting table with gold ingots to create golden carrots.
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Find or tame your horses/donkeys: If you haven't already, you'll need to find and tame the animals you want to breed. This involves approaching them cautiously and feeding them hay bales until hearts appear above their heads.
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Feed each animal a Golden Apple or Golden Carrot: Select the golden apple or golden carrot in your hotbar and right-click on each horse or donkey. Hearts will appear above their heads indicating they are ready to breed.
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Observe the breeding animation: Once both animals have been fed, they will start a mating animation. This results in a baby animal, a foal or a donkey foal.
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Care for the baby animal: The baby animal will need time to grow up. You can speed up the process by feeding it hay bales.
Frequently Asked Questions (PAA)
1. What is the difference between breeding horses and donkeys?
While the process is similar – feeding both animals with golden apples or carrots – the outcome differs. Breeding two horses results in a horse foal, breeding two donkeys results in a donkey foal, and breeding a horse and a donkey results in a mule. Mules cannot breed.
2. Can you breed a mule?
No, mules are sterile hybrids and cannot breed. They are the offspring of a horse and a donkey, and they cannot produce offspring of their own.
3. What is the best food to use for breeding horses and donkeys?
Golden apples are slightly more efficient than golden carrots in breeding, meaning they require fewer items for breeding. However, golden carrots are easier to obtain if you have a good carrot farm. Both are equally effective in making the animals ready for breeding.
4. How long does it take for a horse/donkey foal to grow up?
The growth time varies slightly, but generally takes around 20 minutes in real-time. Feeding the foal hay bales will speed up this process.
5. What are the benefits of breeding horses and donkeys in Minecraft?
Breeding allows you to create horses and donkeys with potentially better stats, such as speed, jump height, and health. This is particularly useful for transportation and traversing difficult terrain. Additionally, breeding allows you to acquire specific colors and patterns of horses that you might prefer.
Tips for Successful Breeding:
- Ensure both animals are healthy: A severely injured or exhausted animal might not be receptive to breeding.
- Patience is key: The breeding animation takes time; don't rush the process.
- Have enough food on hand: You may need several attempts before successful breeding.
By following these steps and utilizing the provided tips, you'll be well on your way to breeding healthy and robust horses and donkeys in your Minecraft world. Remember to always have plenty of golden apples or golden carrots handy for the best results!
