Using the Feeding Trough for Automatic Breeding Farms

Why the Trough Suits Breeding

Hand-breeding a large herd means right-clicking every animal with wheat or carrots one at a time. The Feeding Trough replaces that loop: it feeds any eligible animal in range from its own stock, so animals enter and leave their breeding cooldown without you being present. This makes it the core block of any passive mob farm.

Setting Up the Farm

Build a fenced pen sized so all animals stay within the trough's feeding radius — a compact pen works better than a sprawling field. Place the trough centrally. Fill it with the correct food for that species; mixing species in one pen means only the animals that eat the stored item get fed, so keep cows with cows and chickens with chickens.

Add a hopper above or beside the trough pointing into it, and a chest of food feeding the hopper. Now the trough refills itself and the pen breeds continuously. Collect the surplus adults or babies with a separate holding area so the pen does not overcrowd.

Practical Tips

Keep the pen lit to stop mobs spawning, and use a fence gate for access. If breeding stalls, first check the trough is not empty, then confirm the animals are adults and that the food matches the species.