Free range chickens are raised outdoors with natural foods while industrial chicken houses have thousands of chickens in one place and are fed foods with antibiotics and steroids. Yuck.
Literally, a chicken house has many chickens, and the new ones are cages made of metal which are cheap and profitable. Chicken houses are generally part of the farming industry.
Industrial chicken houses are just like barns. They require a foundation, a frame, insulation, an interior and an enclosing fence to close off the chickens. The materials to build the chicken houses should be available at a local hardware supplier like Home Depot or Rona.
When your chickens come home to roost it means they come back to their hen houses to rest.
I first came across this concept from a guy in Connecticut who has since put togather a website dedicated to chickens as pets. It is called The New Dog (thenewdog.com). He has everything from chicken feeders and chicken houses to chicken diapers(!) and a slew of items for chicken enthusiasts from books to DVDs, clothes, jewelry and original art (paintings of chickens)! So, I believe this guy Steve at TheNewDog.com said it first!
The temperatures of broiler houses are controlled in order for the optimum number of chickens to thrive so the farmers can slaughter them for profit and to keep the chickens from losing too much heat energy to help them grow better. The unused energy can be used for growth of the chicken.
Haven't you ever heard of the Humane Society? They wouldn't allow such treatment to take place. Chickens are "de-feathered" after being slaughtered.
No. Hens that are "too old to lay anymore" would make very poor market quality chicken. Slaughterhouses that process chickens for the food industry get their chickens from farms where the chickens are raised specifically for the meat market. "Overage" layers that are sent to slaughter wind up in cat food, etc.
In commercial chicken operations, the long chicken houses hold thousands and thousands of birds; in broiler/ roaster programs there may be as many as 20,000 chickens in a chicken house. Backyard chickens are housed under more humane conditions and given about 3-4 square feet per bird if the chickens also free range; about 10 square feet should be allotted to each hen if they are confined to the house full time.
People drive them in trucks.
Chickens are usually sheltered in structures called chicken coops, hen houses, poultry shelters, or poultry sheds. The fenced in area where they are allowed to roam and feed but are protected may be called a chicken pen. I'm not sure what you would call the huge buildings where companies like Tyson raise thousands of birds at a time.
Commonly used chemicals to clean chicken houses include bleach, quaternary ammonium compounds, and hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners. It is important to carefully follow instructions, dilution ratios, and safety precautions when using these chemicals to ensure the health and safety of both the chickens and workers. It is also recommended to allow sufficient ventilation and time for the area to dry before reintroducing the chickens.
In houses!