Siberian Elm: If you can't beat em eat em

Elm going to seed

Most people hate Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila), common incorrectly referred in our area as Chinese elm. This creates a great foraging opportunity for both yourself and your rabbits. In the Spring before the leaves emerge they green up with millions of flat seeds called samaras. These seeds get scattered everywhere the wind will blow them and start coming up as weeds in your garden. During the Summer the deep roots and sun combine to gather nutrients and energy into the tree in preparation for a burst of reproductive power first thing in the Spring. These seeds are edible for both human and wildlife at any stage in their development but are only available for a couple weeks before they get dispersed.

Elm seed AKA samaras

Rabbits love the green seeds before the edges dry out and turn papery. Once dry the seeds are converted into minature flying saucers. I harvest the young branches and cut or break them small enough to fit in their cage. You can also just strip the seed, handfulls at a time into a bag and put them in a bowl or J-feeder.

Gave some to our three chickens. They ate a few fresh green elm seeds but preferred them cooked.

12 week female eating immature elm seeds straight from the branch

Jordan and I tried some fresh while harvesting. The taste is slightly sweet and mild in flavor. They would go great in a salad. Ana cooked some up in some ramen noodles for breakfast. The boys ate it all with no complaints.  The samaras seem to take on the flavor of whatever you cook them with. Next we'll have to try them in soup or curry.

Samaras give this ramen some real nutrition

Growing in Pure Rabbit Manure

I've always used rabbit manure in the garden but thought I'd try starting seeds in pure rabbit manure and various mixtures to see what happens.

Rabbit manure is made up of round hard pellets that appear to be made up of plant fiber particles. It only smells if mixed with urine and gets wet. Rabbit manure is nothing like cat or dog scat where you need to really hold your nose.

Here's a popcorn stalk growing in pure rabbit manure. I tried growing 4 different pots but only one made it. The manure doesn't smell but it gets moldy quick and I think it's a bit too hot. However, if you can get it going it grows great.

yellow popcorn in 100% fresh rabbit manure & moringa tree seedling in soil on top of manure.

The moringa tree on the right, is in a pot with 50/50 potting soil on top of a cup half full of fresh manure. I had 50% success on this one too. The manure was too rich for one of them.

So, my conclusion is that fresh rabbit manure is too strong for starting seeds. I will just start seeds in straight potting soil or completely composted rabbit manure. Once the plants have a good start, liquid fertilizer made from fresh rabbit manure tea should be fine as a booster. I'll continue using the manure as a dressing around my garden plants. I'll do more articles on this subject as my garden gets going this year.

Dogs and Rabbits

Having a predator near a small prey animal can be risky. When I was young my Grandfather had an African basenji given to us. They were bred to hunt and the only way that dog could view my rabbits was as lunch. One time my favorite buck escaped, got within reach of the dog and it was all over. I tried training and socialization but the instinct to kill small furry animals was what he lived for.

In Cache Valley I had an Anatolian shepherd. While in her puppy stage during the first year, she would catch small animals and eat them. She had to be supervised around my other animals. After she matured it's like her motherly instinct kicked in and she looked at them all as hers. The kid goats would play king of the mountain on her back and she finally became safe around all the other animals around my place. Her issue was she liked to roam and could sail over a 6 foot fence and hated our neighbor. Livestock guardian breeds bond well with animals but work purely on instinct. They are very independent and don't have that "I want to please you" mindset.

Farm and ranch dogs that work around livestock do not survive if they are breaking into the chicken coop or attacking small animals that belong on the farm. Even the farm cats are typically at least tolerated. The problem when it comes to rabbits is that shepherd or collie type dogs have a lot of energy and prey drive. If anything large or small is running from them, their instinct is to control their movement and they do bite. Their attempt at maintaining control of disobedient underlings on "their" property can be deadly for a rabbit.  The great thing about these dogs is that they are very trainable and usually want to please. So if you can make it clear that you don't want the rabbits hurt, you've got a chance at a good protector.

Our current dog Jax is a mix of border collie and blue heeler. He is about one and a half years old now. He loves to play tug of war and can do battle longer than any of us can. Tons of endurance and energy. While he was young, he was fine with the rabbits as long as they are in their cage, which from past experience is all I hope for that first year. He's very territorial and protective of anything in our yard.  I put him in his crate when anyone comes to get rabbits. He doesn't like non-family messing with "his" rabbits.

Once while eating breakfast we heard a squeal. I could see that a cage door had been left open and found Jax laying on top of a 4 week old black kit. It's like he didn't like to see it run around and so thought he should control it by holding it down. Surprisingly the kit was completely unhurt. However a larger rabbit that might struggle would be met with more force. Rabbits are somewhat fragile and it's easy for them to get a broken spine. Over the last few months we've been working on obedience training and teaching Jax to be gentle with the rabbits and that it's really bad to use any force on them.  Part of it is training and partially just growing up and getting out of the puppy stage but now he's being much more relaxed about critters running around loose.

Jax (australian cattle dog X border collie) and 11 week female rabbit

If you have a dog that lives to kill small furry animals, then I'd just make sure you are able to keep it isolated from your rabbits. Puppies of any breed need to be supervised. I like the livestock guardian breeds but they are not a good choice in town due to their huge size and love of roaming. The herding breeds are not perfect but workable for my needs. Herding breeds are probably too high energy for most families to handle. Some dogs can be good with rabbits but definitely not all.

The other aspect is can your rabbits adjust to a dog running around their hutch? Even if the dog is not a danger, a high strung rabbit could hurt themselves running in fear at the sight of a predator. Some rabbits may have a hard time relaxing and the presence of predatory pets, could effect a doe's mothering. Having calm rabbits is an important trait to select for. A rabbits temperament and disposition can effect many other aspects of it's life. I suspect a lot of poor mothers have poor temperament. I like a rabbit that is not easily spooked and can calm down quickly. Temperament is definitely inheritable. Calm parents typically have calm kits.

It can take time for a rabbit to adjust if it's never seen a dog before. So any new rabbit should have a place in it's hutch where it can go hideout if it feels vulnerable. Usually it just takes a few days and they stop running and hiding when the dog approaches. A cardboard box, large nest box or partition to hide behind has worked well for me.

Rule of Five Forages - when feeding no pellets

Do you like to eat the same food all the time? Niether do rabbits. Like humans, sometimes rabbits eat small amounts of certain plants that in small quantity make them feel good but can be damaging if too much is ingested. Maybe it's for added spice or for medicinal benefits. You'll notice some plants are:

• Completely uneaten no matter how often you introduce it. I might still try during other seasons if my research show it should be a good feed.
• Only small amounts eaten. So, only give small amounts. Maple leaves & ornamental pear.
• Only certain parts are eaten such as the leaves. My rabbits will eat Linden leaves but won't touch the bark.
• Seasonal changes in palatability. Cottonwood & poplar leaves and bark are usually only lightly eaten but in winter they eat more of the bark. It may have more protein stored during the winter months. Cottonwood bark was the main source of winter fodder for Native American horses.
• They love it but too much can cause diarrhea. Cabbage and other brassica, clover and alfalfa.
• Eat it until they get their fill; corn stalks, sprouted grain, various grasses, elm, russian olive, alfalfa. Some feed is high in protein and some is high in carbohydrates.
• Poisonous. I do lots or research to avoid these. I've found my rabbits sense something isn't good and they don't eat it. Be careful there are probably exceptions.

Google is your friend. Identify plants that live in your area. Especially look for agricultural college studies on livestock palatability. If some kind of livestock or wildlife likes to feed on the plant, then there is a good chance it could be a good feed to try. However, always introduce slowly. Every animal digests their food a little different and has different tastes.

I feed forage at least twice a day, morning and evening. Making sure there is always water in front of them.  For good growth I start with highly palatable feed; one item that is high in protein, others high in carbs and then provide a mix of at least 3 others.  When feeding no pellets I like to give at least 5 different feeds simultaneously and only introduce small amounts of anything new. The new feed I give over a few days and gradually increase amounts. I always take note of what's been left from the previous feeding and cut back a bit on items consistently left uneaten and look for new items to add to the rotation. Root crops are convenient for staying fresh and available longer in front of your stock. Sometimes what you think is a large pile of vegetation can be gone in one hour. Rabbits can eat a large volume of feed so don't scrimp and always give a minimum of 5 different forages so you're not forcing them to eat something that may not be good.

Feeding forage can be a lot of work but much of what you feed can come right from your garden. Pellets are convenient but it's good to know your rabbits are able to thrive on natural feed and from plants with deeper roots than anything in a feed bag, you are collecting valuable nutrients into your food chain. It takes practice and experience to learn to identify the plants, find where they are and get your sources, then learn to feed it without lots of waste and in appropriate quantities. Remember the rule of 5 and give them all they can eat.

Easter Bunny Candy Canes, Elaeagnus angustifolia

In the spirit of the holiday, here's a recipe to treat all those Easter bunnies out there. My does and their kits love to chew on Russian olive leaves, small stems and bark. I've seen a few rabbits raised solely on pellets that take time to acquire a taste or to learn to strip the bark but kits pick it up as soon as they leave the nest. Rabbits love to chew, better to chew on these canes than their nest box or cage.

Feed in the evening and by morning Russian olive branches are stripped like on the right.

The Recipe

All you need is one pair of loppers and a Russian olive tree. Prune off a branch of any size you can handle and cut into 8 inch chunks. Knock off any nasty thorns. You can save any slaller stems for feed, they love them too and will often eat the smaller ends entirely.

If I'm not feeding forage, I at least like to give my rabbits one Russian olive cane per day to keep their digestion in top shape. It's a great treat and keeps them healthy. It's a nitrogen fixer that can grow in salty and depleted soils and reach deep for water and minerals that pasture plants can't reach.

Being an invasive species, Russian olive can be found in most semi-arid climates. It's normally hated and considered a weed. Many people are allergic to the pollen and governments sometimes pay for eradication efforts. Google Russian Olive or the scientific name elaeagnus angustiolia to learn more. Once you recognize it you'll see it everywhere and because of it's status as invasive, not hard to find and get permission to collect.

Sick doe with young kits

Last week my doe Four-Eyes went off her feed. I noticed her pellets had not been touched through the night. She has eleven, 17 day old kits, too young to be off mother's milk. Their eyes are open but not yet leaving the nest box. Their bellies were not as round as they've been but not flat like they are starving. Kits at this age will start chewing on things in their nest. I shaved off a little chinese elm and russian olive bark and put that with the kits. I also gathered a small handful of dry manure pellets from their mother and put them in the nest. From about 10 days, kits will chew on their mother's droppings inoculating them with the bacteria needed for good digestion. I added some BOSS (Black Oil Sunflower Seeds) and rolled-oats to her J-feeder.

The next day, Four-Eye's feed, even the BOSS & oats, still was not touched so I really got concerned. I picked her up and checked her breasts. The front set seemed a little warm and swollen. When I touched her front breasts she started shaking, ugh, mastitis. I've seen this problem a couple times in the past and figured her survival was probably about 50/50. I went out to Petsmart and bought some kitten formula and a small bottle. By evening mama was hunched up and shaking. I figured she'd be gone by morning. I put a few small elm and russian olive twigs by her but she wouldn't touch them. Ended up bottle feeding the babies that night.

Went out in the morning expecting a dead doe. She was sitting by the twigs and could see she'd chewed some bark off. Still looked in bad shape. I had Jordan collect the kits and we bottle fed them again. When we put them back in the nest I'd put some bark, small twigs, grass hay, pellets and rolled oats on the edge of the nest. I could see a few chew on a bit of the feed. By evening Four-eyes was eating small twigs and some pellets but appeared she only ate at most 1/4 cup, no where near enough to maintain weight. In the evening I used a mayonnaise lid to hold the kitten formula instead of the bottle. It took a while but ended up being easier than the bottle. Found some dandelion and fresh grass in the front yard and sprinkled that around the nest for the kits. Also, added another half dozen manure pellets.

Mama seems to be gradually improving. After 5 days the babies are starting to eat out of the J-feeder and I keep giving them greens and the small tree branches. Looks like everyone is going to make it.

Bunny Probiotics

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, veterinarian, diatician nor a health professional of any kind.  These are just my observations and thoughts. If you feed your rabbits poop and they die, or you get sick after eating your own fermentations, that's just sad.  Learn, start slow and make your own decisions only after careful study. If you can't trust yourself, then please find a professional and ignore me.

Anyone raising rabbits would benefit from fermenting their own sauerkraut, kimchee or maintaining a sourdough culture. The digestive process is exactly that, a fermentation laboratory. If the environment in the rabbit's gut gets thrown off their digestion will not be efficient and you've setup an environment where bad bacteria can take over. Humans have used fermented products for thousands of years and only recently decided they are disgusting due to the "germs" they contain. I've started regularly consuming live culture yogurt and fermented vegetables regularly and I'm healthier in my 50's than I've ever been. Sometimes learning a little knowledge and assuming we know everything is counter productive. There are reasons why some people get sick eating a meal and others don't. Could be immune system but often I suspect the culture in their gut.

Did you know that mother rabbits will leave probiotic capsules in the nest for the young to chew on? I saw a little 10 day old kit with eyes not yet fully open chewing away on mama's dropping. I suspect it helps build up their gut flora in preparation for digesting solid food. They start eating bits of their nest material about the same time. This all builds the culture in the bunny's gut to be able to digest various plants. The good bacteria growing inside will create an environment where it is more difficult for the bad boys to live.

One of the popular resent books on rabbit raising suggests regularly putting antibiotics in your rabbit's water to prevent coccidiosis and other digestive diseases. If you insist on following such advice (I never will), I'd be giving lots of probiotic paste, silage and high fiber feed to get the gut culture restarted afterward.  I might even avail to them a few "droppings" from a healthy rabbit to help get them kick started. Yea, I know, sacrilege. I'm just not one to believe everything I learned in health class and actually believe much of what we are taught about sanitation and keeping germ free is harmful. It sets us up for problems later.

Fermentation explains a problem I've had with young kits up to 2 weeks old in the extreme heat of Summer. They'd be fine, have fat bellies full of milk and be active and looking great, then just die. By the time I noticed any loss in vigor or diarrhea it was usually too late. It happened to the largest fastest growing kits, the greedy ones. Baby rabbits are not able to regulate their temperature well. Fermentation increases at higher temperatures. I suspect it's taking off too quick for the baby to handle. They have very sensitive digestive systems. Taking the babies in during the heat of the day and returning them in the evening completely solved the problem. After they are hopping around on their own, they seem to be able to regulate their body temperature better. I stop bring them in well before they reach the exploration stage and would be escaping and scampering around the house.  Only done this while they are young and sit quietly in a box with a little bedding snuggled together.

I'll write another article on how and what I feed to grow a healthy bacterial culture in my rabbits. Since taking this approach I rarely lose kits after weaning and rarely have digestive problems in any of my rabbits.