Minecraft wiki entry for Breeding, associated text: When an animal is fed its food, it enters "love mode", preparing to breed with another animal of the same species that is also in love mode. Animals that are in love mode emit heart particles constantly. When both animals are fed, they pathfind toward each other, up to eight blocks away. The two animals kiss for about two and a half seconds, and then a baby animal of the same species spawns either in between the parents or in the same position as the parent that was spawned first, ending love mode for the parents. Breeding also drops 1–7. The parents do not eat breeding items for 5 minutes, after which feeding them once again causes them to enter love mode. However, they still follow players holding breeding items, as does the baby. An animal exits love mode if it does not breed 30 seconds after being fed; however, it immediately becomes able to be fed and enter love mode again.