4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Busybird]

On Saturday, Ranger went through the wire fence at the bottom of our garden and made a nest on the adjacent one foot wide grass verge. This verge borders a twelve foot drop onto a busy road. She laid an egg and wouldn't budge until my OH took his life in his hands and climbed over the fence to shoo her back. This was the first egg my girls have ever laid anywhere but the Eglu.

 

On Sunday we cleaned the Eglu and run but both Ranger and Hazel tried to return to Ranger's nest. We locked them in the run as soon as we could and got our third egg at 3.45pm (almost dark).

 

I am now worried about letting the girls free range. Before this they only seemed to leave the garden accidentally. Now they seem to be seeking out this spot. Given where it is and the thick, mature hedging surrounding it we cannot block it up.

 

Can anyone offer any advice on how to 'retrain' the girls to lay only in the Eglu?

[sandyhas3chucks]

not a clue, but would guess keep them in until that thought is re establighed.

maybe try dif material in nest box as extra encouragement

[fowlbird]

our girls were getting through a hedge so we put chicken wire along the base of it - about 3ft high - this was enough to deter them. Haven't had them try to lay anywhere else but the eglu so can't help there...

 

we also have part of the garden fenced off so that they can't get to the lawns/unfenced parts, not sure if you can do that in your situation.

[Busybird]

Last winter we put up garden netting to keep them in the area around the Eglu and greenhouse. They turned it into a muddy quagmire in a few weeks. My OH was not happy. This year we have given them the run of the whole garden and only the area around the Eglu looks really bad. Plus they get a lot more freedom

 

I have kept them in their run for the past couple of days to see if they can be 'retrained' but it is a standard Eglu run plus extention. I want to let them freerange. It is hard to balance their perceived happiness with their safety. Not sure what to do for the best

[fowlbird]

only you can make the decision, busybird, but I'd put safety first every time.