Hello from Northwest Ontario

[Ice Box Farm]

Having the right size cage wire base, sturdy so it doesn't bounce with the rabbits weight helps prevent sore hocks. If the wire is coated it is even better to prevent sore hocks. 14 guage with largest hole measurements 1" by 1/2" or less, just wide enough for droppings of adult rabbits to drop through.

So it is funny. I had a mini rex who lived in a plastic rodent cage before being given to me. Never had any sores. I moved him to a cage with 1/2" by 1/2" wire bottom. Plenty sturdy, no play. After a bout a week, sores on his feet! Put the princess back into a bigger inconvenient-for-me plastic bottom cage and in 2 weeks so more sores. I would have thought it would be the other way around like you suggested. I wonder what went wrong? He was about 7 when I got him so maybe his paws just weren't used to anything but plastic.

 

[Buknee]

So it is funny. I had a mini rex who lived in a plastic rodent cage before being given to me. Never had any sores. I moved him to a cage with 1/2" by 1/2" wire bottom. Plenty sturdy, no play. After a bout a week, sores on his feet! Put the princess back into a bigger inconvenient-for-me plastic bottom cage and in 2 weeks so more sores. I would have thought it would be the other way around like you suggested. I wonder what went wrong? He was about 7 when I got him so maybe his paws just weren't used to anything but plastic.

I always have a piece of wood on the wire so my rabbits have something to stand and sit on.

 

[Alaska Satin]

So it is funny. I had a mini rex who lived in a plastic rodent cage before being given to me. Never had any sores. I moved him to a cage with 1/2" by 1/2" wire bottom. Plenty sturdy, no play. After a bout a week, sores on his feet! Put the princess back into a bigger inconvenient-for-me plastic bottom cage and in 2 weeks so more sores. I would have thought it would be the other way around like you suggested. I wonder what went wrong? He was about 7 when I got him so maybe his paws just weren't used to anything but plastic.

I think his problem was probably due more to the fact that you moved him suddenly onto wire from the more forgiving/less sharp plastic. I don't think Sapphire16 was saying no plastic; in fact he/she suggested that coated (with plastic) wire is best.
Moving an older rabbit suddenly from a solid bottom to a wire bottom cage is almost sure to cause at least some temporary discomfort, if not outright sore hocks.

I always have a piece of wood on the wire so my rabbits have something to stand and sit on.

To transition them from solid to wire, we always did what Buknee mentioned - gave them a solid piece of wood to get off the wire while they get acclimated. Our mini rex didn't tend to sore hocks, but they always developed callouses, so we left the wood with them all the time. Our Satins never had any trouble at all and never sat on the boards, just chewed on them, so we switched to sticks, which they loved to chew and play with but wouldn't get soiled like the boards do.