baby rabbitas

Question
I just 5 new baby rabbits from a breeder 2 of them are two wks old 3 of them are 3 wks old isn't that a little young to be taking them away from thier mother they are doing fine and are eating and drinking on their own i was just wondering how old to take them away also i own chickens to and i keep all my rabbits in the same shed there is no way for the chicken poop to get one the rabbits is this safe?  the noise doesnt seem to bother them  

Answer
Dear Sharon,

Those babies are MUCH too young to be weaned, even if they are eating and drinking on their own.  To learn more about the dangers of weaning too young, please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

and then get those babies back with their mothers with instructions for that breeder to keep them for you until they are a full eight weeks old, which is the time they can be weaned.

Babies this young often die from intestinal infections because they need their mother's antibodies until they are much older.  Being exposed to the bacteria of chickens will just make things worse, especially since many chickens harbor potentially deadly Salmonella bacteria.

For the best information on how to keep and care for your rabbits, please visit:

www.rabbit.org/

and start here:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/new-bunny-index.html

I hope this helps.

Dana