I always split my chickens no matter what cooker I use. You get more coverage for rub and for the Grease Fog that the PBC produces.
The cooking grate is in the "Sweet Spot" of the drum. This is the spot where if you were hanging meat, that is the area where the meat would be either on hooks or rebar.
I always put a butt on the cooking grate, I have hung them before, but why take chances when you get the same results on the grate as you would on the hooks......