In Minecraft, feed chickens seeds, such as wheat seeds, melon seeds, or pumpkin seeds, to breed them or to make them grow faster.
Feeding chickens in Minecraft is essential for breeding and farming. But many players get confused about what foods work. This guide covers everything you need to know about chicken nutrition in Minecraft, including all valid foods, breeding mechanics, and pro farming tips.
What Chickens Eat in Minecraft
Chickens in Minecraft will eat various types of seeds. Here are all the valid foods:
- Wheat seeds – Most common, dropped from grass
- Beetroot seeds – Found in villages and chests
- Melon seeds – From melons in jungles/villages
- Pumpkin seeds – From pumpkins or crafting
You can’t feed chickens wheat (the harvested crop) – only the seeds work. This changed in version 1.4.2, confusing many veteran players.
How to Get Each Seed Type
Wheat Seeds
Break tall grass with your hand or any tool (except shears). Each grass has a 1/8 chance to drop wheat seeds. These are the easiest to obtain early game.
Beetroot Seeds
Find in village farms or dungeon chests. You can also get them by hoeing grass blocks, though this has only a 0.0625% chance.
Melon Seeds
Harvest from melons in jungle biomes or village farms. Each melon slice gives 1 seed when crafted.
Pumpkin Seeds
Get from pumpkins in plains/swamps or by placing a pumpkin in a crafting grid (gives 4 seeds).
How to Breed Chickens
To breed chickens:
- Gather at least two adult chickens
- Build a secure pen (3×3 with fences works well)
- Select seeds in your hotbar
- Right-click (or equivalent) each chicken with seeds
- Watch for heart particles
- Wait for baby chick to appear
Chickens have a 5-minute cooldown before breeding again. For more on chicken behavior, see our guide on how chickens know to stay in the yard.
Breeding Controls by Platform
| Platform | Feed Button |
|---|---|
| Java Edition (PC/Mac) | Right click |
| Pocket Edition (Mobile) | Tap |
| Xbox | LT |
| PlayStation | L2 |
| Nintendo | ZL |
Advanced Chicken Farming Tips
Automatic Egg Farms
Chickens lay eggs every 5-10 minutes. Use hoppers and dispensers to create automatic egg collection systems. Eggs can be thrown for a 1/8 chance to spawn new chickens.
Feather Farming
Chickens drop 0-2 feathers when killed. For maximum efficiency, use a lava blade killing system that automatically collects drops while keeping some chickens alive to breed.
Chicken Behavior
Chickens will follow players holding seeds. They can swim but need air blocks above water. They take no fall damage due to wing flapping. Learn more about what chickens follow in Minecraft for better farm designs.
Troubleshooting
Problem: Chickens won’t eat wheat
Solution: You must use seeds, not wheat. This changed in version 1.4.2.
Problem: No hearts appear when feeding
Solution: Ensure you’re using adult chickens (babies can’t breed) and the correct seed types.
Problem: Chickens keep escaping
Solution: Build a fully enclosed pen with fence gates. Chickens can jump over single fences.
For more chicken care tips, check out this Minecraft forum discussion on feeding mechanics.
Why Feed Chickens?
Beyond breeding, feeding chickens provides:
- Steady supply of eggs for food/cakes
- Feathers for arrows
- Raw chicken for cooking
- XP from killing them
According to Sportskeeda, chickens are the only source of feathers in vanilla Minecraft, making them essential for archery.