There is nothing better on a hot summer day than picking fresh blackberries. They stain your mouth, hands, and fingers with sweet juice and fill your belly with antioxidants.
You may think to share these delicious berries with some of your farm animals, such as your rabbits. But before doing so, you ask yourself ‘Can bunnies eat blackberries?’
Yes, mature rabbits can eat blackberries but only in moderation. Blackberries are considered a treat for bunnies. Treats should be no more than 5% of your rabbit’s diet. Although Blackberries are chock full of nutrients that are good for your rabbit, they are very high in sugar and low in fiber, which is not good for your rabbit.
But per usual, there are a number of guidelines and important information to understand before offering your mature rabbits blackberry fruits.
In this Discussion, We Will Share All the Information You Need to Know Before Giving Your Rabbits Blackberries!
Can Rabbits Have Blackberries
As stated above, the short answer is ‘yes’, mature rabbits can have blackberries.
This is because blackberries are the natural fruit of the blackberry bush (Rubus sp.) and pose no serious health threats, if given sparingly, to your mature rabbits that are 12+ weeks old.
Blackberry Nutritional Value for Rabbits
Blackberries are packed with antioxidants that are healthy for your rabbit. In fact, they are filled with anthocyanins (a natural pigment with antioxidant effects), which is why they are a rich purple/blue color. Blackberries also contain 127g of water and a hearty amounts of the following vitamins and minerals per 1 cup serving:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Omega 3 Fatty Acids
- Omega 6 Fatty Acids
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Magnesium

They are, without a doubt, a powerful nutritional punch wrapped up in a sweet fruit! But that sweetness does come at a price.
In particular, blackberries are a fruit that is high in sugars and low in fibers (7g of sugars for every 8g of fiber). This is why bunnies owners must err on the side of caution when offering blackberries.
As we’ve mentioned in previous posts about rabbit treats like Can Rabbits Eat Oats, treat food items fall outside the range of providing rabbits with the high fiber and low sugar diet that is natural, and necessary, for them. This is all based on the special digestive system within your bunny. Rabbits are highly functionable on a high fiber diet, but if low fiber/high sugar foods are eaten to often, your bunny can suffer from:
- Imbalanced Gut Bacteria
Rabbits maintain a specific stomach pH, which prevents the growth of the bad bacteria (as opposed to the good bacteria) in the gut. Adding lots of sugar can encourage pH imbalance and subsequent stomach issues.
- Soft Stool
If a bunny isn’t ingesting enough fiber, they will suffer from soft stool and can lose their healthy weight very rapidly.
- Teeth Decay
High sugar diets encourage teeth decay and teeth rot in rabbits, which will prevent them from eating, cause other bacterial and mouth issues, and result in a lot of pain for your bunny.
- Overall Malnutrition and Bad Habits
If your rabbit is eating high sugar foods in the place of high fiber foods, it will develop sugar addictions and is likely to become obese while also learning to refuse healthy, nutritional foods like hay and pellets.

Now all of these issues are unlikely to occur if you feed your bunny a moderate amount of blackberries as a treat. In fact, because of the many antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that blackberries naturally contain they are an ideal treat option for your mature bunnies when provided alongside a balanced diet.
Remember, the best diet for rabbits is unlimited high quality hay and a measured number of pellets. Take a look at our post about How Much Hay to Feed Rabbits to help build a better understanding of how to best feed your bunnies.
Can Rabbits Eat Blackberry Plants and Blackberry Bushes?
You may also be wondering if you can feed your bunnies blackberry plants and blackberry bushes. Well, rabbits are natural herbivores and grazers, eating many types of plant matter when living in the wild.
So for your mature farm or homestead rabbits, fresh and green leaves of blackberry plants and bushes are safe. Stay away from feeding wilted or browned leaves and stick to about 1-2 leaves each week for your 7+ week old rabbits.
Can Rabbits Eat Dried Blackberries?
It’s good to question whether or not you can give your rabbits dried fruit, because dried fruit is normally processed with added sugars. For this reason, we do not recommend feeding your bunnies dried blackberries.
Stick to fresh or frozen blackberries instead. In fact, on a hot day, your bunnies can eat a frozen blackberry as a cool treat!
Can Baby Rabbits Eat Blackberries?
No, do not feed your baby rabbits blackberries. Rabbits that are younger than 12 weeks have a stomach pH and bacteria that is only suited for mothers milk. Feeding your baby rabbits blackberries can cause them significant stomach and digestional issues.

Frequently Ask Questions Related To Can Rabbits Eat Blackberries
How Many Blackberries Can a Rabbit Eat?
Blackberries should be given only as a treat to your rabbit. That means consisting of no more than 5% of their normal diet of high quality hay and pellets. This table can guide you in choosing how many blackberries to give your rabbits:
Age of Your Rabbit | Amount of Blackberries |
Less than 7 weeks | None |
7 weeks to 7 months | 1-2 berries a week |
7 months and older | 1-2 berries at a time, Max 4 or 5 berries per week |
As the table highlights, we suggest giving no more than 1-2 blackberries at a time to your rabbits.
How Often Can Rabbits Eat Blackberries?
Your rabbits will love eating blackberries and will most likely look to you for more after eating just one or two. However, it is important not to give them more. To maintain a healthy diet for your rabbits, we recommend feeding your rabbits blackberries no more than 1-2 times per week.
Can Rabbits Eat Blackberry Seeds?
Yes, the seeds in blackberries are very small, even for a rabbit and when blackberries are provided in moderation, as a treat, the seeds will not harm your rabbit.
Check out this furry Bunny Eating Blackberries!
Final Thoughts on Can Bunnies Eat Blackberries
Blackberries are chock full of nutrients. However they are very sweet for your rabbit’s digestive system and they are low in fiber.
Rabbits can eat Blackberries in moderation, as an infrequent treat.
There we have it, another question on rabbit diet and nutrition answered for all you dedicated farmers and homesteaders. So go ahead, stain your fingers and enjoy the sweetness of blackberries this summer! And don’t feel bad about slipping in one or two berry treats for your mature, furry rabbit friends throughout the week.
Want to know more about fruit for rabbits? You can click on this post:
Fruits Rabbits Can Eat