How to breed cows in Minecraft

Cows are a great source of meat and milk in Minecraft. It never hurts to keep a sizable stock of cows in the game as the animals ensure that a player's survival chances stay above average.

The best way to keep a large number of cows in Minecraft is to breed them. Luring wild cows to a designated area can be time-consuming. Breeding is a much easier method and doesn't require much (if any) travel on the player's part.

As long as a large amount of the required items is kept nearby, players can breed as many cows as they like.

The detailed Minecraft Beginners Guide is available here.

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Breeding cows with wheat in Minecraft

Wheat isn't just for attracting cows (Image via Mojang)

To breed cows in Minecraft, players will need at least two pieces of wheat.

Some players may have noticed that cows are drawn to them when they hold wheat. This is because wheat is required to place cows in love mode and initiate breeding. Calves also enjoy snacking on wheat, as it speeds up their growth.

The good news for Minecraft players is that wheat is an incredibly easy item to stockpile. After collecting seeds from grass blocks or a villager's planter box, players can till grass in a square and place water at its center to make a small wheat farm.

Players can expand their wheat farms later, but starting small is more practical.

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Once players have the wheat they need, they need to seek out at least two cows. By using the wheat on the cows with a right-click or the appropriate controller button, the animals will enter love mode, which primes them for breeding.

At least two cows will need to be placed into love mode for the breeding to take place. Once a calf is spawned, it will seek out its parents as quickly as possible. In such a situation, the parents will be incapable of breeding for five minutes.

With enough cows, the time penalty for breeding shouldn't be a problem at all. If two particular cows are still on cooldown from breeding, Minecraft players can simply move on to two other cows. Before they know it, players will have a thriving herd of cows that they can utilize for whatever they see fit.

Breeding even provides a small number of experience orbs upon completion. This means players can accrue a decent amount of XP while they breed their preferred bovines. It's not exactly a great way to farm experience, but it makes the process more worthwhile.

Here's everything you need to know about the Minecraft Skindex