We have a small Urban flock and live in a dry climate in Boise Idaho. We've used the deep litter method for almost 10 years and it works great! We have three hens and a nice size Coop. We clean out the entire Coop four times a year. I clean up the upper roosting area about once a week or as needed. In the Colder Weather the 4-5" of pine shavings help keep the coop warmer. In the summer we use a little bit less probably three to four inches. The great thing is there's no flies, no smell and it's easy to add extra Pine shavings do a top dressing as needed. I might consider the pellets but at this point the deep litter method works so good I can't see any point in changing