Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Baby Mobs in Minecraft: Growing Up and Golden Dandelions
Most baby animals take 20 minutes to grow up; feeding them their breeding food speeds it up, and since Java 26.1 and Bedrock 26.10 a golden dandelion freezes a baby at its age until you use another. Babies are faster than adults, usually drop no items or experience, and most follow an adult of their kind within 8 blocks. Baby zombies and their undead relatives are the exceptions that drop loot; baby piglins and hoglins drop experience only.
How do babies grow up?
- Most take 20 minutes (24,000 ticks).
- Feed them their breeding food to speed it up; horses, donkeys, mules, llamas and camels grow a set amount per food instead.
- Use a golden dandelion to age-lock a baby forever; use another to unlock it, and it grows up 20 minutes later.
- Some mobs cannot be age-locked.
Breeding foods: breeding animals. The update: Tiny Takeover (26.1).
Do baby mobs drop anything?
Most drop nothing when killed. Baby zombies, zombie villagers, husks, gurgles (baby drowned), zombified piglins and zoglins drop their normal loot and experience; baby hoglins and piglins drop experience only. A baby turtle drops a turtle scute when it grows up. Babies of sheep and armadillos cannot be sheared or brushed.
How do you get a baby mob?
- Breed two adults, or use a spawn egg on an adult.
- Some spawn as babies naturally: baby zombies, piglins, villagers and others.
- Summon one with a negative Age on Java, such as
/summon sheep ~ ~ ~ {Age:-100}. - Ghastlings hatch from dried ghasts placed in water; see happy ghast.
Do babies inherit their parents' looks?
Usually: a bred baby takes one parent's variant at random, and sheep with dyes that combine (such as red and yellow) give a baby of the mixed color. See sheep.
Does ArtemisPvP have pets?
Frequently asked questions
How long do baby animals take to grow up?
About 20 minutes, faster if you feed them.
How do you keep a baby mob small forever?
Use a golden dandelion on it (Java 26.1+, Bedrock 26.10+).
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.