[r+lchick]

I am going to move my chickens into a new area which if bigger and their old plot.  Question is this:  We (the royal we) have just felled some laylandi (sorry about the spelling, conifers?) in the front of my house.  We were going to take them to the dump then I thought, if I stripped off all the branches, could I use the big tree branches for new posts for my chicken house.  I want to put the house on stilts so that I can have storage above or below it and the chickens have a covered area if they want to get out of the rain.  Would the branches be strong enough to take the weight.  I don't intend to split them but use them as they are that way they keep their strength.  Any thoughts?
   

[HappyHippy]

I'm afraid I don't know the answer to the chicken question, but here's a use for all the green bits !
If you pop them into water they'll keep til December, then all you need to do is get some green florists wreaths, soak them in water and put in the wee green bits, cover the ring making it full and bushy (but leave a clear space in the middle) decorate with some sprigs of holly, pine cones and ribbon (dried fruit looks good too) et voila - Christmas wreaths, punt them at £10 a time and you'll have people queing up to buy them 
Sorry, I know this doesn't answer your question - but it's a shame not to make use of what you have I always think.
Karen

[hexhammeasure]

you can also use the green bits as decoration for around the outside of a winter basket - weave leafy branches in an out of the wires of the basket then in fill with tight moss or sheep cake paper bags and fill with compost and flowers.  If you do use the tree trunks for poles plant them in the ground upside down - this will make them last longer you could get 5-10 years out of them depending on thickness Support poles(posts) would need to be maybe 4 or 6in round minimum

[MiriMaran]

It depends how fat the trunks are?  If they are a decent size they should be fine.  As for the green branches they make a great shelter/hidey hole for hens if you stack them up to form a wigwam!