To keep eggs from freezing....Great question for us poultry newbs.
I am not planning to heat either...I am also not planning to provide supplemental light, so I expect fewer eggs in the wintertime anyway and possibly a period with none at all... But there is always that 4-6 week lag behind the shortest day of the year for the coldest days of the year... so surely egg production will begin to pick up again right at the depths of winter temps.
And as much as I'd like to think I'll be catching those eggs before they hit the hay, I doubt I'll be "that" vigilant. That said, my nest boxes are on the south side of the coop and do get the most sun... They are also the least insulated (the rest of the coop is "double walled") so maybe they'll stay warm long enough between coming out of and sat upon in turns by 100 degree chickens and the nest boxes being warmed by the sun...
I mean... chickens and eggs have been tended and collected for centuries... the majority of which did not know the modern luxuries of electric heat and light... So surely there's a low-tech answer (that doesn't involve a barefoot/pregnant woman in the kitchen)
I dunno... over think much, Gifa. Why yes, I think I will.
Awesome.
collect OFTEN.