Ground vs. elevated?

[sdquail]

I'm building a 10' x 20' pen with about a 9' ceiling. I live in So. Cal. and have good drainage, but wondering if I should build an elevated mesh floor instead? Pro's? cons? Intending on putting a group of bobwhites in there. Any advice would help. 

Lastly, if constructing small pens for gambels or valley's to pair up, will the cocks fight if there is only a wire mesh separating pairs or should there be some space between pairs? Hope that makes sense. 

[sunrise]

i have raised valleys and gambels on gravel for two years and i am now having significant problems with disease.  everything i have read tells me you will have fewer problems raising them on wire.  you can successfully raise them on a sandy material if it stays really dry and they have enough room (low population).  i am now in the process of building a wire floor to my cage.
my experience with valley and gambel cocks is that they co exist very well together.  you will get one or two alpha males and subordinates, but they dont seem to fight.  i have mixed others in later and they accept them in the covey fine.  you can mix gambel and valley, and blue scale, but cant add mountain.  they will kill mountain quail for some reason.