I dont know how many of you reading this are picturing your chicks that you hatched free ranging with their mom in 30 degree weather...when it gets cold they go under mom....truly , once you see a three day old chick running around in 20 degree weather, scratching at the ground happy as a clam with his mom, you realize how important it is to allow their natural self thermo-regulation instincts...they need a HEAT SOURCE YES--- MAMA HEN OR HEAT LAMP..and when they need heat source they will utilize it....whether it is in the form of cuddling under their mom or settling down under the heat lamp. While we certainly dont want to do anything to risk the well being of our chicks, they are not as 'helpless' as we sometimes think