[Lastcast]

Hello all,
 New to the site and have very limited knowledge of Chickens, We've just aquired our allotment and are in the early stages of clearing the plot, we plan to keep about 6 (to 10!!) hens. (thanks for all the tips i've so far gleaned, esp. Muntjac)
 I plan to have a raised henhouse with a scratch pen 8x4 feet+under henhouse,with 2 grazing pens 12x4 feet, now my first question............as these grazing pens will be enclosed I'm wondering,  could I put a few Gooseberry bushes or other fruits inside. Obviously I'll protect the bushes/canes while they're establishing and when the fruits ripen .

[DD.]

I don't know much about hens, but I do know a bit about gooseberry bushes.

Even if you could protect them fully, which would be a job in itself, the bushes are going to take up a lot of that 4' width and leave little room for the hens. My bushes are wider than 4'!

[too many girls]

get a goat! the goat will eat the gooseberry bushes and save you the problem of worrying about them

[funky chicken]

 

[Aunt Sally]

They'll probably eat all the leaves 

[8doubles]

I would not put a spikey gooseberry bush in a chicken run , although the chooks would be fine under normal conditions if they were spooked by something one or more could suffer damage. Chicken are expert at blind panic for the slightest thing.

[Aunt Sally]

That's a very good point 8doubles !

[Lastcast]

Thanks for all your replies, hadn't even thought about thorns and skittish? hens, definitely don't want them skewered just yet  that's why I joined for such advise. Do you think I could put any fruitcrop in the grazing pens? I could widen them to 6 feet. The plan was to alternate the hens between the two, ie. a week at a time through spring/summer.

[Aunt Sally]

How about some dwarf apple, pear etc trees.  The fruit would be safe from pecking and they would provide some much appreciated shade while not taking up and ground space.

[Bruced]

Not sure about dwarf fruit trees. My youngest showed the chooks where the apples are - we now have leaping chickens and rather chickened low-hanging fruit.  Good for amusement value but not so good for apples... And don't get me started on what happened to the blackcurrants

[Aunt Sally]

You can get all sorts of sizes of dwarfed trees depending on the root stock.

This web site gives a list of root stocks and the sizes the trees will grow to.

[Lastcast]

I'll give the website a look as we will want some fruit trees/bushes. Just heard the plot next to ours may be available (more room for the hens) and already has some old black/redcurrant bushes and what maybe a Damson or Greengage tree. I know we've only had our plot a week but it would be too good an opportunity to pass by ! !