Another Oregonian says hello

We use an old stamping shed, that we walled in and added windows and doors, as a poultry house on one end and potting shed on the other. The birds run in a long corridor between the property boundary and the garden -- a "chicken moat." The young orchard, which is about twenty of our fruit trees, is planted right down the middle of the moat and its roots are protected from scratching by rings of stones -- stone mulched. Dropped fruit -- apples, cherries, pears, peaches, and quince -- is the property of the birds. We have always run chickens and ducks in the same space with pretty good success, but are planning to divide the moat and give the ducks and goose their own space -- including a longer access to the garden (chickens destroy the beds).