Would wire be a bad floor for a chicken coop?

[gumpsgirl]

Would wire be a bad choice for a floor in a chicken coop? I have been looking at numerous sites to get ideas on how I want to build my chicken coop. I have noticed several sites that list their chickens coops as "predator proof" and the floor is wire. I guess that might work to keep predators out, but I don't think it would keep them from terrorizing the chickens! I also was wondering if the wire would be hard on the chickens feet? I don't think it would help in the winter months to keep the chickens very warm either. These are all of my concerns with the wire flooring. Has anyone used a wire flooring and what do they think about it? Thanks!

 

[twigg]

Quote:
1" weldmesh is very common in large poultry houses, for the floor.

 

[willheveland]

I'm not real crazy about poultry on wire.I know many do it but I think it is so un-natural,not to mention they have no way to build up a tolerance to diseases.
I think of large commercial egg producers when I hear chickens being raised on wire.
just my opinon Will

 

[arlee453]

I use wire in the floors of my coops.

It works well - easy to clean and especially since my coops are too small for me to get into to do a full rake/shovel out. The poops do fall mostly through and what doesn't fall through I brush/scrape through with a narrow push broom every couple weeks. (check out my blog or chickNcam during daylight hourse to see my coops).

Having said that, I don't think wire is the optimum for the chickens' sake. I think it works OK for me because:

1) We have a mild climate - only a very few really frigid nights here in the winter.

2) My girls are ONLY in there to sleep at night. The rest of the time they are running around in the large fenced pen. (20x80).

If they were forced to be confined in the coop for long periods of time - like if the weather was really bad/cold, etc - OR they did not have a secure, large run to roam around in, then I would not recommend the wire floor, just for the sake of their feet.