When you are raising rabbits it helps to know the definition of words unique to the rabbit world. (Did he say BOSS? What’s a fluffle? My rabbit is broken?)

Bunny Homes

rabbitry – where rabbits are kept
cage – wire home for your bunny
hutch – wire/wood home, often with an attached run area
colony housing – rabbits living in a community in a large enclosure
free range – bunnies that live without an enclosure

Fur

solid/self – fur is all one color
shaded – fur is all one color but transitions from dark to light
broken – white fur “broken” with color patches or spots, this can include nose markings, colored ears, and/or eye circles

This is Aspen. He is “broken black.” He’s a white rabbit with black ears, eye circles, and a few random spots elsewhere.

I’m broken black and I’m very handsome.

Making More Bunnies

sire – father
dam – mother
kit/kitten – baby rabbit
breeding – sire and dam mate to produce baby bunnies
fall off  – at the end of mating, the male “falls off” (often rather dramatically)
gestation – the time between breeding and kindling
kindling – giving birth to kits
nest box/kindling box – a box provided to the dam for having her litter
litter – baby rabbits born from a single mating
weaning – when baby bunnies move to adult food and stop nursing, about 4-5 weeks
sexing – determining the gender of a rabbit (a very tricky thing to do when they’re little)
trio –  two does and one buck, often chosen to start a rabbitry or new line of rabbits.

Behaviors

binky/binkies – an expression of joy, a jump with a twist or kick
chinning – rubbing their chin on something to mark ownership
flopping – a heavy drop onto their side, usually a relaxed happy movement
kisses – licking you, a show of affection

Acronyms You Will Hear Tossed About

ACV – apple cider vinegar
BOSS – black oil sunflower seeds