Why Won’t My Villager Become a Farmer? The Ultimate Minecraft Guide
So, you’ve got your little Minecraft village project going, and you’re trying to build the perfect agricultural utopia. But for some reason, your villager just won’t take up the mantle of the Farmer. Frustrating, right? Let’s break down the reasons why your villager is stubbornly refusing to pick up a hoe and plant some carrots.
The most common reasons a villager won’t become a farmer are: the villager is a Nitwit (the green-robed bum), they already have a claimed profession, there’s no unclaimed Composter nearby, or there’s a bed shortage in the village. Let’s explore these in detail.
Understanding the Villager Profession System
Before diving into the specifics, it’s crucial to understand how the Minecraft villager profession system works. After version 1.14, villagers became much more complex and interesting. Their professions are now tied to specific job site blocks, and they have routines, schedules, and even inventories. This all contributes to making the game more immersive and realistic, and makes understanding villager behaviour that much more rewarding.
Nitwits: The Green-Robed Bums
First and foremost, let’s address the Nitwit. This villager is easily identifiable by their green robe. Nitwits are essentially unemployed villagers who cannot take on a profession. There is no way to change their profession. They are utterly useless for work and exist purely for aesthetic purposes.
Pre-Existing Professions: The Already Employed
Another common reason is that the villager already has a job. Once a Novice villager has traded with a player, their profession is locked in. You can’t force them to switch by simply placing a Composter nearby. To get them to change professions, you need to break their current job site block and ensure the new Composter is the only unclaimed job site block nearby.
The Composter Conundrum: No Job Site, No Job
Speaking of Composters, that’s the crucial block that defines a Farmer. If there isn’t a Composter within a reasonable distance of the villager (typically within a 16-block radius and 4-block height in Bedrock Edition), they won’t be able to become a Farmer. Crucially, the Composter must be unclaimed. If another villager has already linked to that Composter, your villager is out of luck.
Bedrock vs. Java: Edition Differences
Keep in mind that there are slight differences in villager mechanics between Bedrock Edition and Java Edition. While the core principles are the same, certain behaviors, such as breeding rates and job site searching, can vary. The information here generally applies to both editions.
The Bed Shortage: More Than Just Sleep
Don’t underestimate the importance of beds. Villagers require beds to breed and even to claim professions. If there aren’t enough beds in the village for all the villagers, they may refuse to take on new jobs. This is particularly true if you have a growing population of villagers. A good rule of thumb is to ensure there is always one more bed than the number of villagers.
Troubleshooting Steps: Getting Your Villager to Farm
Okay, so you’ve identified a potential cause. Now, let’s go through some practical troubleshooting steps to get your villager farming:
- Identify the Nitwit: If it’s a green-robed Nitwit, accept your fate. They are what they are.
- Check for Existing Professions: If you have traded with the villager, destroy its current job site block. Wait for the green particles to disappear, signifying they’ve lost their profession.
- Place the Composter: Ensure a Composter is placed nearby, within the 16-block radius. Make sure it’s unclaimed!
- Bed Count: Ensure there are enough beds for all villagers, with at least one extra.
- Time of Day: Villagers claim professions during their work hours, so make sure it’s daytime. They won’t claim jobs in the middle of the night.
- Mob Griefing: Make sure that the game rule “mobGriefing” is set to “true”.
Related Concepts: Villager Mechanics
Beyond just getting a villager to become a farmer, understanding the broader context of villager mechanics can help you create more efficient and thriving villages. Villagers can trade and be cured from zombie villagers to improve prices. Villagers are the best way to trade for enchanted books!
Games Learning Society and Minecraft’s Educational Value
Minecraft offers many opportunities for learning and collaboration. The Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ recognizes this and studies the impact of games on education. Minecraft can teach players resource management, problem-solving, and even coding through its redstone mechanics. GamesLearningSociety.org is dedicated to research and promoting these benefits.
FAQs: More Answers to Your Villager Woes
Why isn’t my farmer working Minecraft?
If the villager is a farmer but isn’t farming, ensure they have access to the crops, that the crops are ready to be harvested, and that they have access to beds. They also need crops, like potatoes or carrots in their inventory so that they can plant them again.
Why won’t my villagers change trades?
Once you have leveled up a villager, you cannot change their trades. But, you can change a villager’s trades at Novice level by destroying and replacing their job site block, as long as you haven’t traded with them yet.
Why aren’t villagers planting crops?
Villagers need crops in their inventory to plant them. Give them potatoes, carrots, beetroot or wheat seeds, and they will start planting. They reject your slavery at first, give them time.
Do bells attract villagers?
Yes, bells act as a meeting point for villagers. They will gather around the bell during certain times of the day.
Can you breed two villagers with jobs?
Yes, villagers with jobs can breed. Ensure they have access to beds and food.
How do you know if a villager is hungry?
Hunger is represented internally, and isn’t directly visible. But villagers will harvest and plant crops if they are hungry.
Do villagers restock their chests?
Villagers do not have chests that they restock in the normal game. This sounds like something from a mod.
How do you stop villagers from making bread?
Fill their inventory completely with seeds so they can’t pick up wheat and make bread. It will stop them using the wheat for anything else.
Can villagers farm for you?
Yes, Farmer villagers will farm for you, automatically harvesting and planting crops.
Do villagers despawn?
No, villagers should not despawn. However, bugs can sometimes cause them to disappear, especially near chunk borders.
Why is my villager a Nitwit?
Nitwits are randomly generated when a baby villager grows up (Bedrock Edition) or as a result of curing a zombie villager.
How far is a villager job block?
In Bedrock Edition, villagers search for job sites within a 16-block radius and a 4-block height.
Why isn’t my villager farm working Bedrock?
Population caps, lack of beds, or insufficient food can prevent villagers from breeding on Bedrock. Also ensure that the villagers can get to their beds.
Can you breed villagers without a farmer?
You can breed villagers without a farmer, but you need to provide them with enough food (bread, carrots, potatoes, beetroot) yourself.
Why does my villager have green sparkles but no job?
The green sparkles indicate that another villager has claimed that job site. Find the culprit!
Hopefully, this guide has helped you troubleshoot your villager farming woes. Happy Minecrafting!