Vinyl Coated Wire vs 14 Gauge Wire?

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MissVelveteen

MissVelveteen

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Hello, I've been in a dilemma over what type of floor I should purchase for my small Velveteen Lop herd. They are/will be show rabbits so wire flooring is a must to keep their fur clean. However, the breed is prone to sore hocks too. (I have yet to have any open sores however, just loss of hair.)
I have taken an interested in KW stacking cages- particularly the 36x30 variety. However for extra flooring options there is : 14 Gauge GAW wire or 16 Gauge Vinyl coated wire flooring. I should mention the vinyl coated wire is also GAW.
So my question is, which would be better for rex-furred feet? Which would be more durable/last longer? I only have one doe, and she's in no way a chewer. But no telling how my soon to-be new additions will act!

Any and all input would be great!

Edit: I have been and will continue to use resting mats! c: Sometimes they trap poo - but they have worked well enough. I have also fitted baby socks onto my doe when she experienced hair loss.
 
Well if you can afford it, larger gauge wire is better in my opinion. I feel the sturdiness is worth it.

But to get to your question, I don't think the larger gauge wire will make a difference. This is probably one of those every little bit helps situation. What you should probably invest in are some resting mats.

The issue with rex-like fur is that it doesn't provide enough protection on the bottom of their feet. A simple analogy would be rabbits with "regular" fur are "wearing shoes" while those with rex fur are "wearing socks". If you're waling around with socks on outside all of the little rocks and such are much more noticeable.

If you had a resting mat for your rabbit, then they gave something tobtake the pressure off their feet for awhile. They sell slotted ones in case you are worried about the laying in urine. And a regular old piece of wood works well too. I try to place mine in the center of a cage, or at least away from potty corner.
 
i agree with kenosha. the higher gauge wire is definitely a better flooring option as it's sturdier and will last longer, but the real solution for rex feet is resting mats. my rex rabbits have at least three in their cage, covering about 70% of the floor, and i haven't had any sore foot issues so far.
 
shazza":2uqtuwky said:
the higher gauge wire is definitely a better flooring option as it's sturdier and will last longer
Click to expand...
You both meant “larger” gauge (14 gauge), correct? It just sounds a little confusing saying “higher” because then I would assume you meant the 16 gauge, and that is both less sturdy and less long-lasting (although maybe the coating would slow wear-and-tear down a little?).

Anyway, just wanted to make sure we were understanding things correctly. Please correct me if you did mean 16 gauge, but I thought 14 gauge was stronger and better suited for cage material.

Thanks! :oops:
 
yes, ugh, i always forget that the number goes DOWN the thicker the wire is! the LOWER gauge the wire, the better ;P so the 14 gauge wire is best, yes haha.
 

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