Minecraft wiki entry for Egg_farming, associated text: After this is constructed, eggs can be thrown directly up from the collection area. The chickens will float on the water and their eggs will drop to the floor for easy collection, where they can be thrown back to hatch more chickens. When meat or feathers are needed, a sword can be used to pick off chickens from below. A water flow can be placed in the collection area to bring the eggs to one block, but this makes throwing eggs and collecting meat or feathers more difficult.