When do turtle eggs hatch in Minecraft?

Turtles in Minecraft are docile mobs that can be found along the shores of the ocean, and they are very valuable creatures.

Turtles were added to Minecraft Java Edition during the 1.13 version update. They have been hinted at being added to Minecraft since 2012 and were finally added in 2018.

Turtles do not lay eggs on their own; eggs are only laid whenever a player breeds two turtles.

Eggs are very fragile and can be trampled whenever a player or mob walks over them; only turtles can walk on their eggs without trampling them. When turtles are killed, they can drop very useful items.

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Turtle eggs in Minecraft

Breeding the turtles

Image via Minecraft

Turtles can be mated using seagrass. Whenever two turtles in Minecraft are fed seagrass, hears will appear around them, and they will come together. After a few seconds, one turtle will walk up to the sand and lay one to four eggs.

Hatching the eggs

Image via Minecraft

Once the eggs are laid, all players can do is wait. On average, it takes around four to five days for an egg to hatch, with the majority of eggs hatching within seven days.

Players must stay within 128 blocks of the turtle eggs, or else the eggs will not progress towards hatching. Turtle eggs will only hatch at night, similar to how turtle eggs in real life hatch.

If a player wants to break and move the eggs, they must use a tool with the silk-touch enchantment. Breaking the eggs with anything else will make the eggs break without dropping anything, therefore losing the eggs.

When the eggs hatch, baby turtles will emerge and go towards the water. Baby turtles are currently the smallest mob in Minecraft, so they are quite tiny.