Ooo! I know from reading peoples' conversations about this online that this can be a hot topic.
I personally feel like the hens should be allowed to rest during the winter time. I dont give mine night time light, except a very dim night light for the purpose of allowing them to see just enough to get away from predators. (Heard horror stories from my uncle about chickens allowing them to be gnawed to death by rats because they could not see...)
I DO have australorps in my flock though, and I love them because they lay a LOT of eggs, AND on top of that, continue laying throughout the winter. So when my other birds stop laying, they keep on, and we do not run out of eggs.
Second topic: heat. They don't need heat in the winter, just a place to get out of the wind and lots of bedding to stay warm in. I am admittedly in Georgia now, where it does not get cold, so the only winter prep I do here for them is to staple cardboard over their windows to remove drafts during the coldest month of the year.
I came from OHio though, where the winters are much colder. Up there, you still dont need heat! We kept our chickens just fine in a coop with drafts blocked off andlots of fluffy bedding. They were just fine.
Besides that, I have heard many, many stories of barns being burned down from using heat lamps in the winter time, so it is risky for that reason.
I just realized the heat question was from last week. Got all excited and didnt read all the words,oops! Oh well...