Wire for coop flooring?

[Viper44m]

Hi,
After telling a friend that I heard you shouldn't usewire for a coop floor, (because it could cause damage to chickens feet) I can't find anywhere that says this... in books or on this site.
Can anyone help us find out informtion on whether wire flooring is a good practice or not?
Thanks so much!

 

[95yj]

wire can cause bumble foot in certain cases, especialy in standard birds, if you do use it they should definitely have an unwired run and an area that they can get off the wire, I personally don't like wire flooring and only use it with my quail, but thats just me. sometimes a solid floor with lots of litter is just as easy and sanitary (if not more) than a wire floor, it's also probably cheaper.

 

[Viper44m]

Thanks, "Chillin" , I'll pass on your suggestions.

 

[Laurajean]

Hmm... I would like to hear more opinions on this. I am planning to have a completely closed in run built, including hardware cloth on the ground because I have an extreme problem with predators here. Every single person on my road that owns chickens have lost them despite various attempts at predator-proofing. So I have been thinking that by having entirely enclosed run including the ground, that this will take the best possible measures against predators.

Now I'm reading it may hurt their feet?

BTW, I have 7 Bantams, so they are lighter, but I am wondering if this is something I should reconsider? On the other hand, I would hate to skip the hardware cloth on the bottom in fear of their feet, only to have a predator get in and kill them all!

 

[chicknduck]

This is my first flock and my husband built the coop after I did alot of research and part of the coop floor is wire and part is wood and the ofcoarse they have 4 roosts and a big nesting box. The chicken coop is bigger then my shed and he wonders why I want to get more chickens. To fill the enormouse chicken house. LOL My girls free range all day so the are not on the wire much just to get up on the roost but the poo goes thru the wire for easy rake out. I like it alot.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Backyard poultry growers will experience little trouble with birds no heavier than a commercial brown egg layer on wire floors. Even heavier hens do ok on partial mesh flooring.

Bumble foot on wire occurs when sharp protrusions on galvanized after welding wire is used. The skin cover on the foot pad is compromised and staph bacteria invade.

PVC coated wire is really nice for this job. Smooth and easy to clean. Not so hard on the feet.

Nobody is going to like this fact but millions of commercial day old egg type pullets are started on 1" x 1" galvanized welded wire covered with newspaper two layers thick. They will be on that construction of floor for as much as 2 years. Many newer cage layer pullet rearing facilities start the birds on 3/4" x 3/4" wire mesh.

Any mesh size smaller than 1" x 1" will cause manure inadequate manure filtration and thus foot problems in egg type hens.

Bantams of course would require smaller mesh.

There is a plastic flooring used for meat and egg type breeder hens that I like a lot. When I get home I will take a pic of my great nephew's new "yard coop" that has plastic flooring. It is quite the deal. His Dad is a superintendent at a large general construction firm and Uncle Neil designs chicken coops for a living. We have a family history of being competitors to contend with at the Knox County, Ohio Fair in both broilers and turkeys so Lee is going to have any tool he needs!