Ive had my birds for about a year now......I turn up the Pine shavings almost daily but at minimum I move them around and stuff 4-5x per week. I simply use a smaller rake and mix the shaving and what not around...... I have yet to use DE..... Smell is not bad at all.... The poo seems to dry up fairly well, fairly quickly.... Flys exist but not overwhelming.....we live by the Jersey Shore (fist pump......NOT! ) So we have all sorts of flys..... Is there anything wrong with the method I am using? I put down a fresh layer of Pine shavings about every 2-weeks....I turn up whats there and add a fresh inch or two on top.,...... Am I doing this wrong? Birds seem to have no issues? Is DE neccessary? TY!!
I never used DE in the coop, I have used wood ashes from time to time, but now use them mixed with sand in the tractor tire I use for a dust bath area. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=351835
Sounds like my exact situation. I haven't been at it as long as you, but that's what I'm doing. The coop has it's "smell" but it doesn't "stink", if you catch what I'm trying to say. I stir it daily, add shavings from time to time, and try to keep things dry, and tidy. The flies, very few, are present, but not an issue. Any caked on poo on the roosts is scraped off regularly, so no accumulation. Seems to be working for me!
