Need quick help, please!

[annmarie]

I need to make a decision in the next 1/2 hour (before dark) and need some help. Here's the situation:
My BR hen is in the unheated mudroom right now, under a brooder lamp because she is in the middle of a hard molt and I decided today that it's just too darn cold out for her to be in the coop, and I don't have electricity out there. She was shivering pretty bad and her tail was drooping.
I only have 2 other chickens and I'm worried that they'll be too cold tonight without chicken number 3 to huddle with.
So I'm leaning towards bringing the other 2 into the mudroom for the night so they can all be together and stay fairly warm. Does this sound like a good idea or bad idea? If I keep the light on them all night, will they not sleep? They've never had artificial light. Please give me your quick opinion before the sun goes down.
Thank you!

 

[ChickLuver]

I think for one night it should be fine.....Bring in the girls....

 

[waynesgarden]

Where do you live and how cold is it?

Wayne

 

[annmarie]

I'm in Vermont. It is 12 now. It is forecasted to be 6 tonight with wind chill of -10. They've been through worse, but not with molting going on and never with only 2 of the 3 in the coop.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Id bring them in just so they can huddle together. Just to be on the safe side.

 

[annmarie]

Will they sleep under an illuminated 60 watt bulb?

 

[annmarie]

All right, well thank you everyone! I now have 3 confused looking hens standing in the corner of the mudroom! Nice thing is, I set them up right in front of the sliding glass door to the kitchens\\ so talk about "chicken TV" they're under a spotlight and everything!

Fatima, my chilled half naked BR looks much happier now with her 2 amigos. I'm not exactly sure what I'll do tomorrow and the day after that with the temperatures staying low, but for now it looks like we've got 3 hens joining our little New Years party tonight! I'm sure I'll be posting again tomorrow when I'm trying to figure out what to do next, so good night and Happy New Year's BYCers!

 

[BeckyLa]

When I need electric to the coop, here it's fans in the summer, I just run a long extension cord and plug in what I need. Would it be possible for you to do this and put up a heat lamp? I doubt this will be the only severely frigid night you'll have in Vermont before their molt is over.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Quote:
They should sleep fine. At least theyll be nice and warm. Happy New Year to you too.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I was thinking that the two in the coop would be fine. If it makes the one in the house more relaxed and happier, though, that's a really good thing! Especially if she was starting to not look good, out in the cold. Being less stressed will boost her immune system and help her in case she was starting to come down with anything.

Give those chickens an extra snack for New Years Eve!