Raising Sermas on wire?

[SportTees]

What could possibly go wrong with raising Sermas on wire?

 

[Freds]

Have raised Seramas both ways. Have no differance with birds.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Ouchy -

Sounds hard on their feet.

They won't be able to scratch which is what chicks do 98% of the time.

Could get pulled through the wire by their feet.

Why would anyone raise chickens on wire?

 

[SportTees]

Quote:
Thank you - Its good to hear from someone who has done it successfully

 

[SeramaLife]

There is nothing wrong with it as long as they have a board or roost to get off the wire if they want to. The problem with seramas is their long wings get tattered.

 

[rizq]

The only problems I have had with wire is that I have to trim toe nails and beaks because they don't wear them off. All of my seramas and OEGs have access to enclosed houses and wire "runs" (2x4 complete cage, half enclosed, half wire with a covered top), but usually sleep on the roosts in the wire portion. Three of the cages have a 1x1 wire floor, one has a 1x2 wire floor, and the rest have 1/2x1 wire floor. I used to have one with 1/2x1/2 hardware cloth floor, but the poo did not fall through and it was a horrible mess to keep clean. I like the 1x1 wire best except for very small chicks. With mine, by the time they venture out of the house portion (set below the floor level of the "run" so brand new chicks can't get out), they are big enough that they are fine on the 1x1 wire. I have never had a chicken with sore feet (except those mentioned below), though probably all the seramas have tattered wings.

The only time I have had trouble with predators and the wire cages (which are about 4 feet off the ground so the cages are at eye level for easier access) is with one rabbit-type cage (with no house, but had a resting board) set with trays I used for LF chicks that were not quite large enough to compete with the big chickens but had outgrown the brooder. I had to rework those cages when the rats started chewing off their toes. I had a group of chicks with deformed feet because of it. This only happened in the top cage with the tray to protect the lower chickens from the poo, so you want to make sure that if you use trays and have any potential rodents around that the trays are low enough the rats can't reach. I would worry with lower trays, though, that it would give coons and possums easier access. I just don't use trays anymore so don't double stack ... easier to maintain that way anyway.

Personally, I feel that the tinies are safer in cages than on the ground and they don't seems any less happy than my other chickens.

 

[SportTees]

Quote:
Thats my thinking- there safer off the ground since there so small. I' also worried about how they will fair in the cold this winter. How do you know there beak needs trimmed? How offen do you trim? Can you do it with finger nail clippers or something else?

 

[rizq]

The top portion of the beak will grow much longer than the bottom portion. If the top portion is much longer than bottom, it needs to be trimmed. Some never need it at all. I trim them with the same scissor-style trimmer I use on their toe nails and to trim the sharp points off the spurs on the evil blue red OEG rooster.

 

[texaschickmama]

I have mine (1 rooster and 2 pullets) in a rabbit hutch with a run on the front. I use shavings in their coop. They are in the big coop and in their own coop. So added protective.

 

[rizq]

Oh, about the winter. Mine have been fine when they access to a draft free sleeping area. I have also set a 60 watt bulb in a clamp light to keep some warm that were used to being inside. They did great. No frostbitten combs or anything.