Abstract: A pen useful for raising roosting fowl from the chick stage through maturity. The pen includes a floor which is pivotable between a first, closed position and a second, open position in which eggs from the fowl can pass out of the pen. The front of the pen includes a feed trough, the wall of which is provided with apertures permitting chicks to enter the feed trough when the floor is in the closed position. The apertures are blocked off when the floor is in the open position.

Abstract: A process for raising roosting fowl includes subjecting newly-hatched fowl to infrared radiation for a limited period of time and decreasing visible light. The fowl mature in substantially total darkness. Temperature is controlled to keep the fowl comfortable. The fowl are given a protein rich diet for a time sufficient to allow substantially complete bone structure formation, at which time they are switched to a high carbohydrate diet to increase meat weight. The process reduces stress on the birds and keeps them docile, resulting in decreased handling, faster maturing, increased meat versus bone ratio and increased bird numbers per area of raising space.