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.
Feathers in Minecraft: How to Get Them and Uses
Feathers drop from chickens and parrots, appear in some structure chests, and tamed cats sometimes bring one as a morning gift. They craft arrows, books and quills, and brushes for archaeology, and fletchers buy them for emeralds. A chicken farm is the easiest steady source.
Where do you get feathers?
What are feathers used for?
| Item | Recipe |
|---|---|
| Arrows | Flint, stick and feather (makes 4) |
| Book and quill | Book, ink sac and feather |
| Brush | Feather, copper ingot and stick |
| Firework star (burst) | Feather adds a burst shape |
Arrows: arrows. Brushes: archaeology.
How do you farm feathers?
An automatic chicken farm that hatches eggs and cooks adults gives feathers along with cooked chicken; see chicken farms. Expert fletchers buy 24 feathers for an emerald.
Tips
Keep a stack for arrows if you rely on a bow, especially before a raid or a trip to the End. Feathers stack to 64, and Looting increases chicken drops. Chickens breed with seeds, and an egg dispenser keeps a farm growing. Books and quills let you write long notes and server rules, and brushes uncover archaeology loot in suspicious sand and gravel. Expert fletchers buy feathers for emeralds, so a chicken farm later doubles as an emerald farm, and every arrow you craft from four feathers comes back as sixteen arrows.
Frequently asked questions
What drops feathers?
Chickens and parrots.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.