What do pigs eat in Minecraft to breed?

Who this is for: Minecraft players looking to start animal farming or expand their food production systems.


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Carrots, Potatoes, and Beetroots: The Pig Breeding Essentials

In Minecraft, pigs eat three specific food items to enter breeding mode: carrots, potatoes, and beetroots. These root vegetables are the only foods that will make pigs willing to breed and follow you around.

How to Feed Pigs for Breeding

To breed pigs successfully, you’ll need at least two adult pigs and two of any breeding food items. Here’s the simple process:

  • Hold carrots, potatoes, or beetroots in your hand
  • Right-click (or tap on mobile) each pig to feed them
  • Hearts will appear above their heads when they’re ready to breed
  • The pigs will automatically move toward each other and produce a baby piglet

Where to Find Pig Food

Getting these breeding items is straightforward once you know where to look:

Food Item Best Sources
Carrots Village farms, zombie drops, shipwreck chests
Potatoes Village farms, zombie drops, pillager outpost chests
Beetroots Village farms, dungeon chests, end city chests

Breeding Cooldown and Baby Growth

After breeding, adult pigs enter a five-minute cooldown period before they can breed again. Baby pigs take 20 minutes to grow into adults, though you can speed this up by feeding them the same breeding foods—each feeding reduces the growth time by 10%.

Additional Pig Behaviors

Beyond breeding, these foods serve other useful purposes with pigs. When you hold any of these items, nearby pigs will follow you, making it easy to lead them to new locations or into pens. This following behavior works within an 8-block radius and stops if you switch to a different item or move too far away.

Pigs also heal when fed these foods, recovering 1-3 health points depending on the item. This makes carrots, potatoes, and beetroots essential for both pig farming and general pig care in your Minecraft world.

Ready to start your own pig farm or explore more farming mechanics? Check out our collection of Minecraft games for hands-on practice with these breeding techniques.

TL;DR

Pigs in Minecraft eat carrots, potatoes, and beetroots to breed. Feed two adult pigs these items to make them produce a baby piglet after a brief courtship.

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Joyst1ck

Gaming Writer & HTML5 Developer

Answering gaming questions—from Roblox and Minecraft to the latest indie hits. I write developer‑focused HTML5 articles and share practical tips on game design, monetisation, and scripting.

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