Chez
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Quick growing top-fruit?I want to plant a handful of top-fruit or trees or bushes in my poultry pens - something quick-growing, preferably. Any thoughts, anyone?
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gil
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Why ?
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Chez
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Sorry, I should have said - to give the birds some shade and protection from the weather. I could plant something quick growing that doesn't have fruit - but it seemed a better use of the space to stick in something that will at least give me a few gallons of wine or some jam. And I've had tremendous fun over the last couple of weeks watching 'Greengage Wars' as the hens play rugby with the windfalls 
I was wondering about sloes, or damsons or crab apples?
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gil
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Unfortunately all three will take several years to fruit.
Raspberry canes would be quickest.
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GSHP
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I planted a crab apple in the hen run last autumn, also a rowan. They both survived, but offer little shade as yet.The dog wood( not a fruit ) was enjoyed by all and is now bare so I am looking to replace that with something else - the ornamental blackberry has survived so am looking for something thorny maybe gooseberry
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Chez
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I think raspberry would be a no-go, Gil - they'd get the fruit before I did, so there wouldn't be much point. I am thinking of planting bamboo - I have seen it successfully used as cover in pens and I think there are some quick-growing varieties. The top-fruit was an idea I'd started playing with this year, since we've had them in the orchard at the back of this house.
I quite fancy sloes. Or, I suppose, Elder - but that's quite rampant, I think?
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Spruengli
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Talking of rampant, if you go for bamboo its worth finding one that's no more invasive than you want - some of them are fine, some are absolute thugs and will follow you into your house given half a chance...  
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Bebo
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Be careful with bamboos. They spread like wildfire and you need to really constrain the roots or they will be everywhere. I've seen them forcing their way up through asphalt paths.
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Tavascarow
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With reference to bamboo choose one of the phyllostachys.
Not as invasive as some & when mature you can harvest the canes for garden use & the shoots for eating.
You might also consider hazel for nuts & rods & for a fast growing useful crop basket willows. (Ican send you some unrooted sets for the cost of P&P when they are dormant).
I know they dont fruit but loads of craft uses.
You will need to put wire around anything you plant to stop the birds eating the young leaves & shoots until they get established.
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VM
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Of the fruit trees mentioned, crab apples I think would fruit quickest. I've had a couple and there's usually been a little fruit the first season after planting.
Damsons slower and sloes I guess similar.
Place we bought our first chickens from - near Blackburn and in a very open situation - had bamboo in the runs and said it worked well.
But yes, hazels would be nice as well - though I think they take a few years to fruit (or nut ).
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orangepippin
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Maybe get a very vigourous variety - e.g. Bramley - on a dwarf rootstock (grows and fruits more quickly). However I am not convinced that would give much shade. Something a bit more hedge-like such as cherry plum or mirabelle might work better - on pixy rootstock perhaps.
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Treacodactyl
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IIRC our hazels fruited within 5 years of planting one year bare rooted whips. Not bad going and you can also harvest pea sticks and bean poles.
What about blackberries, tayberries etc? They could be grown up a few poles to get them out of reach of the hens and should provide a fair bit of shade.
I'd also consider some cheap, bare rooted fruit trees and make little tree guards out of chicken wire.
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