Chicken boarders

[victor]

We have a problem with one of our hens, it keeps escaping from our garden into our neighbours. We think it started when another of our hens was broody and refused to leave the nesting box where they lay, our neighbour found 17 eggs behind a bush the other day so it seems to go there to lay. We have blocked up every conceivable gap where it could get through but it is still escaping. The only route would seem to be over our shed, it's 9 feet high and the hens wings are clipped although there is a fence nearby that she might be able to perform a series of leaps from.

 

Does anyone know how we can stop the hen from travelling to lay without having to build a concentration camp style fence around the garden? I'm sure if we could break the laying habit it would stop her escaping. We have her locked up all day at the moment but this is not a good solution - she is unhappy and so are the others. Our neighbours are losing patience however because when she is in their garden she forrages, she ripped out all their newly planted begonias yesterday so she is at risk of neck ringing by Mr Neighbour who is becoming increasingly angry.

 

All help and advice welcome.

[Redwing]

Perhaps keep her in the run whilst letting the others out? this should imprint some good nest box habits on her

 

Could you rig up some netting overhead perhaps to keep her in?