I have done some reading on cold weather chicken care due to the recent Seattle “Arctic Blast 2008″
1.Putting a thick layer of loose hay or straw in their pen and scattering a light feeding of grain in the morning and a heavy feeding of grain in the afternoon. This hay helps to keep the coop less drafty, my coop is hardware cloth on the bottom to let the chicken dropping drop out and increase ventilation.
2. Cold snaps reduce egg production but the birds remain healthy and active. Egg production can be maintained if the hens can be convinced to eat enough to cover both their need for warmth and egg production. Feeding wet mash can help to maintain egg production. Although I havent noticed a drop in egg production yet, so im not too concerned.
3. Use 10 qt. galvanized buckets as waterers. Fill them with warm water and take them out to the hens. Frozen water has been the biggest issue for me in seattle cold snaps. The normal waterer in the run doesnt have very much volume and freezes very quickly even with warm water.
Boeing Field, WA