It's best to keep in mind when reading the posts of other members - many of us are quite experienced with rabbits and are passing on what we have learned as owners. and the type of problems that can be encountered. If someone is advising to get an adult rabbit, it may be that they have learned the hard way that baby bunnies don't always turn out the way you expect. For a first time owner, I would always recommend getting an already spayed/neutered rabbit, that has a personality that you like. It usually makes the first time owner experience a lot easier, and can also make it easier to bond with your rabbit because you are picking a rabbit that you already know the personality of, and this personality isn't likely to change much, which can't necessarily be said for a baby bunny. It is also good to spend some time sitting with and getting to know the rabbit before you actually pick one. It can take time of quietly observing a rabbit, to get to know what the personality is really like.
Being that you are new to rabbits and don't have the experience yet, you are making some wrong assumptions about them. First off, rabbits are not at all like dogs or cats, so socializing them is very different. Socializing a baby rabbit has limited impact on what they will be like as adults. It can make some difference for a rabbit to be raised from a baby, being used to being handled and around people, but each rabbits individual personality can have a far greater impact on what they will end up as as an adult. Example, I have 10 rabbits, 7 that I raised as babies. One of the babies, a dwarf hotot, I held all of the time when she was younger, loved cuddling and was completely fine with being held. She hit those teenage years and everything changed. She detests being picked up now and being held. She'll struggle and grunt at me, and fly out of my arms if I'm not keeping a good hold of her. She was spayed, is 2 now, and is still the same. It's just her personality. She isn't terribly people friendly and likes to be just left alone to play, but is totally fine with people being around her as long as they don't try and touch her. Even with her bunny friends that she grew up with, she is a bit of a loner now and likes to be off napping by herself instead of snuggling with the rest of them. She was completely different as a baby than she became as an adult, despite being socialized and held all of the time.
One of my rabbits that died earlier this year, I got as an adult. He was a one year old dwarf hotot and wasn't socialized or handled much before he came to me, and as a result was very nervous being around people and being handled. This lead to him getting sick, in which I had to handle him constantly for several weeks, hand feeding him and giving him meds. As a result of this handling, he got used to me and actually he turned out to be the sweetest most affectionate boy. Whereas the 4 baby dwarf hotots that I raised from birth, were constantly handled, held, and around people, this didn't make them any more people friendly or like being held. They are grown up now and are 2 yrs. old, and are all sweet bunnies, but all of that socialization as babies certainly didn't make them really people friendly or like being picked up and held. They are used to people and house sounds, but none of them are particularly cuddly(though a few do like their nose rubs), don't really want to interact with people much, and though they tolerate being held because they have no choice, none of them really likes it. So despite all of the socialization as babies, their adult personalities win in the end. Breeders can make an educated guess on a rabbits personality, based on what the bunnies parents are like, but they can no more predict the personality a rabbit will end up with than any of the rest of us non breeders can .
Your assumption that a rabbit raised in poor conditions will end up with behavioral problems, or a rabbit raised in good conditions won't have behavioral problems, is also not accurate. Case in point. One of my rabbits that I raised from 4 weeks old, which required extra hands on care because of her young age, is one of the moodiest rabbits that I have now, despite being spayed. She was held all of the time as a baby, and had lots of play time and lots of interaction with me and other people. And now at 2 yrs. she is the most cage aggressive territorial rabbit that I have, and I have been bitten many times as a result. Though once you are holding her, she is just a puddle in your arms and loves to be cuddled. She was socialized very well as a baby, but still her adult personality is what she ends up with. Yet my bunny that died had little socialization as a young rabbit, and he was one of my sweetest most affectionate rabbits that loved to be held, once he knew he could trust me.
Rabbits can bond at any age. They don't have to be a baby to bond with you. In fact baby bonds don't necessarily last once the rabbit matures. It's the same if the bunny has another bunny friend. Baby bunnies usually all get along and have 'baby bonds', but once they hit maturity, everything changes, and often those bonds can break resulting in fighting. You may bond with a baby rabbit and find that once they become an adult, it all changes. It's really much better to find an adult rabbit that you seem 'drawn' to and like the personality of, and not have the risk of that personality changing.
I'm not saying that getting a baby rabbit isn't the way to go, I've gone that route myself, but it's best to go into it realistically aware of the potential, that despite your best efforts to nurture your bunny and socialize it, that it may still end up with a personality that is different than what it had as a baby, with behavioral problems that can be difficult to handle for a first time owner. You have my experience testifying to this, as well as the others that have posted with similar experiences. Not to mention the countless people that come on here looking for advice because their once sweet baby bunny that used to like to cuddle and be with them, has now reached maturity and completely changed into a grumpy teenager that bites, doesn't want to be held, and/or doesn't want to cuddle anymore. Just start looking back in the 'Nutrition and Behavior' threads if you want to find out for yourself.
I'm just saying this because this happens SO often. And many times the result of this happening, is that the owners get discouraged or disenchanted with the whole 'cute cuddly baby bunny' thing once the rabbit matures and changes, and the rabbit ends up getting dumped. Pick which ever route you want, but go into it eyes wide open and with the correct knowledge, so that you can be prepared if things don't turn out the way you think.
