help, hardworkinghippy :0)

i saw in some of your flickr pix that you nailed long thin twigs to make a "wall", like on your chicken coop and shower--very cool! so what time of year did you cut the boughs, did you nail them green, what size nails? pre drill holes? i want to do this across part of the opening of my chicken coop, i have plenty of right sized maple saplings to use.