Villagers breed on their own once two things are true: each one is willing, which takes food, and a free bed is waiting for the baby. Give two villagers 3 bread each, or 12 carrots, potatoes or beetroots, keep one bed no villager has claimed, and hearts appear: a baby villager is born.
The rules below are those of Minecraft 26.3, from the Minecraft Wiki, with Beebom and Craftdex giving the same numbers.
Food: what makes a villager willing
A villager is willing to breed when the food in its inventory is worth 12 points. Bread counts 4, and a carrot, a potato or a beetroot 1 each, so that is 3 bread, 12 carrots, 12 potatoes, 12 beetroots or any mix.
- Drop the food on the ground in front of the villagers: they pick it up themselves.
- Bread takes 3 wheat in a row at a crafting table, like every recipe in our Minecraft crafting recipes.
- Farmer villagers harvest crops and share food with other villagers, so a small field worked by a farmer keeps a pair fed.
Breeding uses the food up: keep the villagers supplied for every new baby.
Beds: one free bed for the baby
- At least one bed must be free, claimed by no villager: that is the baby's.
- The bed needs two empty blocks above it, and the villagers must be able to walk to it.
- In Java Edition, the beds that count are those of the village; in Bedrock Edition, those in the loaded area.
Three beds for two villagers is the simplest start: one each, and one for the baby.
