Donkey

Overview

Fifteen inventory slots you can reach from the saddle is what a Donkey is for. Fit one with a chest and a mining trip that would have taken three journeys takes one, which is worth far more on a long expedition than the speed it gives up to a horse. It has up to 30 health — individual animals roll between 15 and 30, along with randomised speed and jump strength, so two Donkeys from the same herd are genuinely different animals. Taming works the old-fashioned way: mount it repeatedly, get thrown off repeatedly, and eventually hearts appear, after which a saddle makes it rideable. Feeding it before you start speeds the process. A Donkey cannot wear horse armour, jumps poorly, and is slower than almost any wild horse, which is the trade you accept for the cargo. Breed a Donkey with a Horse and the foal is a Mule, which inherits stats from both and is often the better pack animal — but mules are sterile, so the Donkey remains the breeding stock. Herds of two to six spawn in plains, sunflower plains, meadows and the savanna group at light level 9 or above.

Portable storage on four legs. A chested Donkey carries 15 stacks you can open from the saddle, which turns a long mining or building trip into a single journey.

Donkeys are slower than horses but they carry cargo: fit one with a chest and it gains fifteen inventory slots you can access from the saddle, which turns a long mining trip into one journey instead of three. Tame by mounting repeatedly until hearts appear, then saddle it. Breeding a donkey with a horse produces a mule. They cannot wear horse armour, and they jump poorly.

Donkey is a tameable mob in Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.4. You will need to deal 30 damage — 15 hearts — to kill one. It is worth 3 XP.

Properties

Donkey has 30 health, which is 15 hearts. It drops up to 3 experience when a player kills it. Its hitbox is 1.4 blocks wide and 1.5 tall, which is what decides whether it fits through a gap or a one-block-high opening.

Added in: 1.6.1
Tameable: Yes
Breedable: Yes

Spawns in

Spawns in herds of two to six in plains and savannas. Individual health is randomised between 15 and 30, and jump strength and speed are randomised too.

It is restricted to Plains, Sunflower Plains, Meadow, Savanna, Savanna Plateau and 1 more, so it will never turn up outside those biomes however dark it gets.

Dimension: Overworld
Light level: ≥ 9
Biomes: Plains, Sunflower Plains, Meadow, Savanna, Savanna Plateau, Windswept Savanna
Added in: 1.6.1

Dimension: Overworld · Added in 1.6.1

Drops

Killing Donkey drops Leather, plus up to 3 experience. Looting raises the maximum on most of these by one per level.

Leather: 0–2

How it behaves

The Donkey can be tamed, after which it follows and defends you. A tamed one still takes damage, so it is worth naming so it never despawns.

Killed by a player it drops up to 3 experience; killed any other way it drops none.

Command

In a world with cheats on, this spawns one Donkey where you are standing.

Summon

/summon minecraft:donkey ~ ~ ~

Guides and tools that cover this

Frequently asked questions

How many items can a Donkey carry?

15 inventory slots once a chest is fitted, accessible while you are riding it.

Can a Donkey wear horse armour?

No. Only horses can. Donkeys and mules are limited to a saddle and a chest.

How do you tame a Donkey?

Mount it repeatedly until hearts appear. Feeding it golden carrots or golden apples first makes it happen sooner.

What do you get by breeding a Donkey with a horse?

A mule. Mules keep the chest slots but are sterile and cannot be bred any further.

How much health does the Donkey have in Minecraft?

The Donkey has 30 health points, which is 15 hearts.

What does the Donkey drop?

It drops Leather, plus 3 experience when killed by a player.

Where does the Donkey spawn?