[jamesb]

I've read that they don't really need heating in the winter as their feathers keep them nice and warm. Trouble is, a couple of ours are now moulting a fair bit and it's meant to get very cold soon...  In this case, should I be considering anything extra?
We've only got 3 and they tend to sleep huddled in the nestbox. I've put extra straw in there for them...

[joyfull]

no they will be fine, just make sure there are no draughts and ensure their ventilation holes are above head height.

[jamesb]

OK, they should be fine, the ventilation is just above the door at the opposite end. They were certainly fine last winter, although ths snow confused them a lot...

[8doubles]

They will be ok, one of my hens moulted when we had 6" of snow on the ground. If she was cold she would have stayed in the coop but she was out feeding (and eating snow) every day.

[Flowerpower136]

One of my ex-batts hadn't grown her feathers back in time for last winter.  Big bright pink bare bum, and nothing but quills elsewhere.  The only bit with feathers was her head.

I worried (it was so cold last year), and knitted a chux tux just in case she couldn't cope.  But thankfully it wasn't needed.  She didn't seem to suffer at all.  As long as they've got some shelter during the day, and a nice dry coop at night, they'll be fine.

Only thing I did different was use wadges of newspaper under the bedding to give a bit more insulation.

Frozen water was our worst problem.