Wire Floor in Coop?

[pvc coop]

We have a wild bambo patch so I was able to cut some bambo and wire them to the top to the chicken wire. It helped support their feet, yet the poop still fell thru.

 

[Rosecomb-Ryan]

I personally dont like wire floos cause I would think it would hurt theyre feet.

 

[robert161]

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[dalostshaker]

I have a wire floor and it doesn't bother my babies. The wire allows the poop to fall through pretty easily. Our house is about 3 feet off the ground and under the wire floor we have a wood floor that is attached to the henhouse like a trap door. When it's time to clean the house I just have to drop the door and bang the poop off of the wood (that is covered in vinyl). I leave the door open in the hot Southern nights allowing my girls to have the ultimate in ventillation and when it's chilly out I keep it closed and it becomes air tight. The only time that I have a problem with the wire is when the girls kick their straw bedding all over it and it gets blocked up.

 

[flakey chick]

Conditions to consider using wire:
-Hot climate: They need the ventilation & they won't be "cooped up" in the house for long periods.
-Light breeds (or bantams) without Xtra toes. Wire is especially hard on the heavy breeds. Some claim breeds with a fifth toe are more prone to foot problems. Quail can be raised on wire 24/7 with no trouble.

Pros:
-Ease of cleanup: Eventhough poop doesn't always fall through on its own, it is easily pushed through with a brush. It is also easy to hose down.
-Savings on litter.
-Ventilation
-Light weight (good for tractors).

Cons:
-Needs to be closed up for colder weather
-It can be hard on their feet

I almost lost one of my banty chicks to a wire floor. She got her foot stuck in 1/4-inch hardware cloth and was dangling upside down from the upper tier of the brooder. Thank goodness I was around to rescue her. It wasn't a toe that got stuck, but just a small portion of the pad on the underside of her foot that was caught on the wire.

That being said, I do plan on using vinyl coated 1/2" for my coop tractor. I am hoping the vinyl coating will be a tad easier on their feet and more slippery for the poop. They will not be jumping down from the wire portion and they should not spend much of their time on the wire and they are tiny banties. Even if I lived in a colder climate, I would consider wire for tractors in the warmer seasons.

 

[Rosebud75]

I like the idea of having a wire floor with a 'trapdoor' under it. Something like a droppings pit, kinda.