Minecraft wiki entry for Villager_farming, associated text: Unlike for other breedable mobs, villager breeding cannot be forced. However, the player can provide ideal accommodations (beds and food) to make the process efficient. The decision for a villager to show heart particles depends on how "willing" a villager is to mate. If two villagers nearby are willing at the same time, they meet and spawn a baby villager in between them, like other passive mobs. There are many factors of willingness, but it depends mostly on the food that the player feeds the parents. To feed villagers, the player must throw the food to them, and let them obtain it in their inventory. Below is a table that tells the player approximately how much food they must give to a villager before they can be willing.