Donkey in Minecraft: 15-Slot Chests, Taming and Mules
A donkey carries a chest with 15 slots, the best pack animal before shulker boxes. Where donkeys spawn, taming and saddling one, and breeding a mule.
Donkeys are passive mounts found in plains, meadows and savannas. They’re slower and jump lower than a good horse, but they can carry a chest with 15 slots of storage, which makes them the best pack animal before you have shulker boxes. Tame one the same way as a horse, then add a saddle and a chest.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 15-30 (random per donkey) |
| Speed | About 7.5 blocks per second when ridden |
| Jump | About 1.5 blocks |
| Spawns | Plains, sunflower plains, meadows, savannas |
| Drops | 0-2 leather, plus saddle, chest and chest contents; 1-3 XP |
Where donkeys spawn
Meadows are the most reliable spot in Java, with donkeys appearing in groups of one or two. Plains and savannas have them less often. Bedrock spawns larger groups in plains (two to six). Around 20% spawn as babies, which you can’t tame until they grow up.
Taming
Donkey taming works like horse taming: use the donkey with an empty hand to climb on, get bucked off, repeat until hearts appear. Each attempt raises its temper, so it always works eventually. Feeding it sugar, wheat, apples, carrots or golden food first raises temper faster.
The chest
A tamed donkey takes a chest: hold a chest and use it on the donkey. That adds 15 slots. Open them by sneaking and using the donkey, or press your inventory key while riding.
Two things to know before you load it up:
- The chest is permanent. You can’t take it off. It only comes back when the donkey dies, along with everything inside.
- Donkeys die easily. With 15 to 30 health and no armor slot, a skeleton ambush or a long fall is a real risk. Donkeys can’t wear horse armor.
They take half fall damage and only start taking it after a six-block drop, which helps on mountain trips.
Riding
Add a saddle and you can ride it. A donkey runs at around 7.5 blocks per second, quicker than sprinting on foot but slower than an average horse, and jumps about one and a half blocks. Every naturally spawned donkey has those same speed and jump values; only health varies.
Donkeys can’t fit through one-block-wide gaps, and adult donkeys can’t ride in boats.
Breeding and mules
Feed two tamed donkeys golden carrots or golden apples to breed them. The baby can’t be ridden until it grows up, which takes 20 minutes (less if you feed it).
Breed a donkey with a tamed horse and you get a mule instead. Mules also carry chests, can’t wear armor, and can’t breed.
Edition differences
In Java, bred donkeys can inherit different speed and jump values from their parents, the same way horses do. In Bedrock, every donkey has the same speed and jump, so breeding only changes health. In Java you also keep riding through a Nether portal, while in Bedrock you can’t use a portal while mounted.
If you want a pack animal you can lead in a group instead, llamas form caravans of up to ten.
Common questions
How do you put a chest on a donkey?
Tame the donkey first, then hold a chest and use it on the donkey. Open the storage by sneaking and using the donkey, or from the inventory while riding.
Can you remove a chest from a donkey?
No. Once equipped, the chest stays until the donkey dies, when it drops the chest and everything inside.
How do you make a mule?
Breed a tamed horse with a tamed donkey using golden carrots or golden apples. Mules can carry chests too, but can't breed.
Sources & verification
Facts on this page are checked against these references and in-game behavior for the stated edition(s). how we verify.
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