Chickens are not polar bears we have to keep in mind. Laying, vocal, and active birds in my opinion is a sign everything is right in their world. That being said when a chicken has 3 or 4 trips around the sun it is there as a pet not for egg production. If your birds or animals are showing signs of stress you have to do what is right in your situation. The one size fits all is a recipe for disaster.
Take inventory on your animals daily and make daily decisions is what I do summer and winter. A heat lamp and TLC can happen not only in winter and not always due to cold.
In Canada I am subject to -40º cold snaps. I do NOT heat or give extra light in my coop. Murphy's law says my birds will find out what -40 is all about when my hydro goes out. Regardless what you decide feed Extra Corn over the winter you will not be sorry.
Or something like this may help also; You could even knit a hoodie for those extra cold days..
Just what I do. The extra cracked corn that is. I think I'll pass on the hoodies. Lol... Cute though. I didn't even open the girl's chicken coop door yet. Decided to let them eat, drink the fresh warm water {with Braggs organic vinegar in it}, and lay some eggs. Then when I take some greens out I may open the coop door.
