Terminology
Agouti – a fur color pattern generally involving rings of color on the hair shafts. Opal is an example of an agouti color.
ARBA – American Rabbit Breeders’ Association – umbrella national rabbit club. All rabbit breeders in the US should be members of ARBA.
BEW – Blue-eyed white – white bunny with blue eyes resulting from two Vienna genes.
Broken – a white rabbit with patches of color. A broken black has black patches, a broken tort has tort patches, etc. Understanding broken rabbits
Buck – male rabbit
Charlie – a bunny with two broken-pattern genes which result in a minimally patterned rabbit. Understanding Charlies
Dam – female rabbit that produced an offspring. A rabbit’s dam is its mother.
Doe – female rabbit
DQ– disqualification from showing. DQ’s may be either permanent (such as a missing toe, malocclusion, or nonshowable color) or temporary (illness).
Enteritis – an often-fatal illness of the digestive system characterized by diarrhea and brought on by stress, excessive carbohydrate consumption and/or weaning.
Grand Champion – a rabbit that has earned three or more legs, at least one of them being a senior leg, under at least two different judges. To obtain a grand champion number and certificate, the legs must be submitted with a fee to ARBA.
Kindling – giving birth to young.
Kit – baby rabbit
Leg– a leg is earned by winning in an ARBA-sanctioned show as long as there are three exhibitors and five rabbits competing for the win.
Malocclusion – The misalignment of teeth.
Nest Box – a box provided to does so that she can make a nest and have babies in it. Also called a kindling box.
Palpation– feeling a does abdomen to determine the presence or absence of embryos.
Peanut – a bunny with two dwarf genes, which is a fatal combination. Understanding the dwarf gene.
Registration – registration is a process of bringing a rabbit before a registrar to verify that it meets standards for the breed, supplying pedigree information and paying a registration fee in order to obtain a registration number, tattoo and certificate.
REW – Ruby-eyed white – white bunny with ruby eyes resulting from two REW (cc) genes.
Self – a fur color pattern where the hair colors are the same on each hair shaft all over the bunny. The pattern that may be modified by the c-series gene (such as in sable point). Black is an example of a self-color.
Sire – male rabbit that produced an offspring. A rabbit’s sire is its father.
Tort – Short for tortoiseshell; when used alone refers to black tortoiseshell rather than blue, chocolate or lilac tortoiseshell.
Trio – two does and a buck, often matched for breeding to begin or expand a rabbitry
Variety – the color and the pattern of the fur. For example, solid tort or broken sable point. If no pattern is mentioned,
then solid is assumed.
VM/VC/Vienna Gene – VM is Vienna Marked, VC is Vienna Carrier, Understanding the Vienna Gene
WE – White Ear, a suspected mutation of the broken gene affecting color on the ears.
ARBA – American Rabbit Breeders’ Association – umbrella national rabbit club. All rabbit breeders in the US should be members of ARBA.
BEW – Blue-eyed white – white bunny with blue eyes resulting from two Vienna genes.
Broken – a white rabbit with patches of color. A broken black has black patches, a broken tort has tort patches, etc. Understanding broken rabbits
Buck – male rabbit
Charlie – a bunny with two broken-pattern genes which result in a minimally patterned rabbit. Understanding Charlies
Dam – female rabbit that produced an offspring. A rabbit’s dam is its mother.
Doe – female rabbit
DQ– disqualification from showing. DQ’s may be either permanent (such as a missing toe, malocclusion, or nonshowable color) or temporary (illness).
Enteritis – an often-fatal illness of the digestive system characterized by diarrhea and brought on by stress, excessive carbohydrate consumption and/or weaning.
Grand Champion – a rabbit that has earned three or more legs, at least one of them being a senior leg, under at least two different judges. To obtain a grand champion number and certificate, the legs must be submitted with a fee to ARBA.
Kindling – giving birth to young.
Kit – baby rabbit
Leg– a leg is earned by winning in an ARBA-sanctioned show as long as there are three exhibitors and five rabbits competing for the win.
Malocclusion – The misalignment of teeth.
Nest Box – a box provided to does so that she can make a nest and have babies in it. Also called a kindling box.
Palpation– feeling a does abdomen to determine the presence or absence of embryos.
Peanut – a bunny with two dwarf genes, which is a fatal combination. Understanding the dwarf gene.
Registration – registration is a process of bringing a rabbit before a registrar to verify that it meets standards for the breed, supplying pedigree information and paying a registration fee in order to obtain a registration number, tattoo and certificate.
REW – Ruby-eyed white – white bunny with ruby eyes resulting from two REW (cc) genes.
Self – a fur color pattern where the hair colors are the same on each hair shaft all over the bunny. The pattern that may be modified by the c-series gene (such as in sable point). Black is an example of a self-color.
Sire – male rabbit that produced an offspring. A rabbit’s sire is its father.
Tort – Short for tortoiseshell; when used alone refers to black tortoiseshell rather than blue, chocolate or lilac tortoiseshell.
Trio – two does and a buck, often matched for breeding to begin or expand a rabbitry
Variety – the color and the pattern of the fur. For example, solid tort or broken sable point. If no pattern is mentioned,
then solid is assumed.
VM/VC/Vienna Gene – VM is Vienna Marked, VC is Vienna Carrier, Understanding the Vienna Gene
WE – White Ear, a suspected mutation of the broken gene affecting color on the ears.