Most rabbits can still be socialized even if they weren't raised as pets.
Just a few tips.
1. Never move fast around rabbits. They are prey animals and you are a predator. Don't think they don't know that.
2.If you are handling buns who are not pets, wear leather gloves. Flexible driving gloves are good. The gloves don't need to be thick. Bun claws are sharp but they rake, not puncture so even thin gloves will do the job. Wear long sleeves for the same reason. Sweats are great and hard for a bun to rake through. If a bun bites you it's time to cull. That's a trait you don't want in your herd.
3.Never approch a timid bun from above. They have instincts that tell them something swooping from above may be dangerous. Aproach them on their own level.
4. Be sure the bun you are holding feels safe and well supported. Hold them against your body and make sure they are well supported from below. A lot of kicking happens when they are afraid of falling.
5.Never fight them. Get as low as possible, standing is a bad idea, sitting in a chair or on the ground is better. Don't hold them over a hard surface like concrete where they can be injured if they kick loose and fall. Grass is an ideal place. If they fight let them go as gently as possible. The muscles in a rabbits hind legs are more powerful than those in their back and if they kick violently they can actually break their own back. A rabbits spine forms a natural upward arc. Bending the spine in the opposite direction can strain or even break a rabbits back.
6. resist the temptation to swat them when they act up, even gently. Punishment does not work on rabbits as it does on dogs. It only makes them fear you.
7. Hold down the noise when you are handling them. Barking dogs and screaming kids are no-nos. Speak to them in a low gentle voice. It makes them feel safer. The worst I ever got raked was when a dog ran up on the other side of the fence and started barking. The rabbit launched itself using the back of my hand as a launch pad. I still have the scars.
8. Ears are tempting but never pick a rabbit up that way. It hurts. I've seen advice not to scruff them but sometimes picking a rabbit up by the scruff of the neck is the only way you can get hold of them. It does them no harm if they aren't held that way for long; just long enough to get then in a good support position in your arms. their natural tendency is to relax and not struggle when picked up that way.
Know exactly what you are going to do and how you are going to do it before you handle them and then just do it with as little fuss as possible. If you are hesitant or timid the rabbit will sense that and not have confidence in you.
