Understand Carrot on a Stick
Useful when…
- Guide a saddled pig while riding it and holding the item.
- Boost the pig’s speed while mounted.
- Attract nearby pigs by holding the item; this does not make them breed.
Pig riding and boosts
Saddle and ride a pig, then hold the carrot on a stick; the pig moves in the direction of the carrot. Nearby pigs also follow a player holding it, but rabbits do not, and pigs cannot be bred this way. Press use while riding to boost; each Java Edition boost costs seven durability. A boost lasts a randomly chosen 140 to 980 game ticks (7 to 49 seconds). The pig’s average speed over a full boost cycle is roughly 4.19 m/s; this is a cycle average, not a constant speed. Boosted speed applies only while holding the item and is affected by Speed.
Durability and repair
The item has 25 maximum durability. When its durability is depleted, it turns back into a fishing rod. Unbreaking can reduce durability consumption and Mending repairs it when you obtain experience; both are applied through an anvil. Combining two damaged carrots on sticks adds their durability plus one point, and an anvil combination preserves enchantments.
Crafting
Craft a carrot on a stick from a fishing rod, including a damaged fishing rod, and a carrot. The fishing rod must be diagonally above the carrot in the crafting recipe.
Limitations and tradeoffs
- Each Java Edition boost costs seven of the item’s 25 maximum durability points.
- When depleted, it becomes a fishing rod and no longer functions as a carrot on a stick.
- Its use is specific to controlling and boosting pigs.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Boosting without accounting for the seven durability points each Java Edition use costs.
- Expecting rabbits to follow or pigs to breed while holding the item.
- Treating the average speed across a full boost cycle as constant speed.