How cold is too cold?

[Kontrapunkt]

Here's my situation. I have 7 hens in a small coop that is pretty exposed to the elements (wood around half the perimeter and wire around the rest). I had a heat lamp on them much of the winter. Spring was in the air, so I returned the long extension cord I was borrowing to make the heat work way out there, but it's supposed to get down to 6 degrees F tonight. Maybe it sounds cruel, but it'd be pretty inconvenient to set it all up again and if there's not a high risk of them actually dying tonight I'd rather skip the ordeal - it's going to warm up soon. I'm sure they'll huddle together in the corner and probably be fine, but is there a general minimum temperature a mature hen needs to stay above to survive?

 

[bugkiller]

in a good enclosed coop with no draft that would be fine but it there is a heavy draft you may have a problem. I don't heat my coop at all I just have a 100 watt bulb to use for light to keep them laying and when it gets down into the single digits I just leave that light on. The rule of thumb I use is if the water is frozen solid it is too cold in the coop.

 

[Kontrapunkt]

Thanks! I'm guessing they'd survive, but I'm going to be nice and set up a light. The coop is slightly better than being right outside, but the water's definitely frozen solid. And they've been giving me so many eggs I owe them some luv.

 

[wsmith]

Chickens can do fine in the cold, easily down to -10F or lower, IF they have protection from the wind and rain/snow. If your hens are used to having heat, they might get uncomfortable, as they aren't used to the cold.
Chickens have great insulation. I don't insulate my coops and do not provide supplimentall heat or lighting. They do fine and have not gotten frostbite or any other issues. Chicks that aren't fully feathered should have some sort of heat source. Once they are fully feathered, they should do fine.
Last winter I went out before bed to check on something, and just for kicks, put my hand down between the roosting hens. It was VERY warm.