Minecraft wiki entry for Things_not_to_do, associated text: If the player has a sword with the Looting enchantment, they may want to use it for killing animals as it provides a higher drop rate than regular weapons. Some may deem this far more useful of a tactic than the other suggestions due to the ease of collecting furnace fuel. The player should not use flint and steel or lava for killing animals if they want the experience points earned from killing animals or the raw form of an animal's meat.