How to tame a Minecraft pig

how to tame minecraft pig — (Image credit: Mojang)

Want to know more about how to tame a pig in Minecraft? Pigs are the game's oldest passive mob, so they won’t attack you even if provoked. Dropping raw porkchops when killed, they restore three hunger points each (eight if cooked), making them a decent food source to fuel your adventures.

Like most passive mobs, they can be tamed, which makes setting up a Minecraft pig farm quite simple. This isn’t especially hard, but if you aren’t sure what to do, I’ve got you covered in this guide.

How to tame a pig in Minecraft

Usually spawn in groups of two to four, pigs are found in grassy overworld biomes during the day, appearing anywhere except Badlands plateaus and snowy tundras. They tend to avoid cliffs and hazards. In villages, pigs can spawn inside animal pens, stables, or a butcher’s backyard.

Piglets occasionally spawn instead of pigs, though they don’t provide porkchops if killed. Should a pig get hit by lightning, they become a Zombified Piglin instead, a neutral mob usually found within the Nether.

How to start a Minecraft pig farm

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Pigs like to wander, so it’s best to prepare an enclosed space first. Make sure you use wooden fences and a gate, since these can’t be jumped over.

To lure them in, you need carrots: get those from village garden plots. Zombies drop carrots, too, though the drop rate is much lower. Equip the carrot and approach the pig, who will start following you. Lead them towards your enclosure and once inside, close the gate.

Side note: I recommend growing more carrots so you don’t run out. Do that by cultivating empty ground with a hoe near water and plant the carrots in.

How to breed and ride pigs

To start breeding, you must capture two pigs and feed them. Carrots, potatoes, or beetroots will be sufficient here. Hearts appear above them once fed. Soon enough, a baby piglet will be born, which takes one in-game day (20 minutes) to grow into a full pig. Repeat as desired.

Much like horses, pigs can be ridden once tamed, but for that, you need two things. First, a saddle. Rather annoyingly, these can't be crafted, and they'll only be found inside chests, either in dungeons or Nether Fortresses. You can also fish for them, though the chances of getting one this way are slim.

Unlike Minecraft horses, that alone isn’t enough, To direct your pig, you’ll also need a carrot on a stick, which simply involves crafting a fishing rod and carrot together. Once done, you can start riding your swine-based steed.