As many of you know and to those that don't mobs can get pushed into solid blocks and suffocate to death in the recent Update. Likewise, animals seem to be able to jump on top of fences and escape pens. I have a solution to both of these: a water-pen.
Basically, build or dig a 21x21 depression one block below the surrounding area. Leaving a one-block space from the outside ring, dig a one block deep trench. This gives you a 21x21 block depression with a 19x19 ring trench within it.
Now place water source blocks around the whole perimeter. The water should immediately flow into the trench, preventing it from spreading into the rest of the depression. The flowing water pushes the mobs back into the depression and you don't have to worry about them dying or escaping.
That's it. Now lure your animals into the area, stretch on your rubber glove, and get to breeding.
That is a nice solution to a pesky problem. I use a similar method in my desert village. Works great, aside from animals sometimes clumping together in my trench, but it looks pretty cool. Some minor tweaking should fix my clumped animal issue.
Also (if applicable) make the ceiling higher than 3 blocks. I've noticed that when a baby matures next to a grown cow, the two will wind up standing one on top of the other. 3 - high ceiling will cause the top one to take suffocation damage.
I made a two story barn to house all my animals and had a suffocation problem. I put fence posts all around the inside and that stopped them from dying. For the hopping on the fence i noticed they don't go anywhere so I leave them be.
We also put fences around and it seemed to stop the suffocating problem. But we must still have escaping issues since everytime I go back to the pen there are less animals there.
I am using Docm's villager trading , i have tried making the ceiling up to 6 blocks high but the villages are still suffocating it is very annoying this took me a while to build and i killed off all the other villagers because i didnt think i would need more because i did the design perfect. they seems to get pushed into the wall and suffocate anyone with a solution please help?
I am using Docm's villager trading , i have tried making the ceiling up to 6 blocks high but the villages are still suffocating it is very annoying this took me a while to build and i killed off all the other villagers because i didnt think i would need more because i did the design perfect. they seems to get pushed into the wall and suffocate anyone with a solution please help?
Basically, build or dig a 21x21 depression one block below the surrounding area. Leaving a one-block space from the outside ring, dig a one block deep trench. This gives you a 21x21 block depression with a 19x19 ring trench within it.
Now place water source blocks around the whole perimeter. The water should immediately flow into the trench, preventing it from spreading into the rest of the depression. The flowing water pushes the mobs back into the depression and you don't have to worry about them dying or escaping.
That's it. Now lure your animals into the area, stretch on your rubber glove, and get to breeding.
Make the walls out of glass blocks.