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.