What Do Chickens and Forests Have in Common?
A Gentle Introduction to Korean Natural Farming for Backyard Flocks
Have you ever watched chickens scratch around in the woods?
They seem at home there—scraping the earth, pecking at plants and bugs, dust bathing under dappled sunlight. It’s the kind of scene that feels ancient, right. And it’s a big clue about how we might care for chickens in a better way.
That’s where Korean Natural Farming, or KNF, comes in.
Rather than relying on commercial feeds, constant cleaning, or chemical treatments, KNF looks to nature for its blueprint. It asks a simple but powerful question:
What if we could recreate the forest floor in our own backyards?
Feeding the Soil to Feed the Chicken
The heart of KNF isn’t actually the chicken—it’s the environment the chicken lives in.
Imagine baking sourdough bread: you don’t just throw flour and water in the oven. You build a living starter first. KNF takes the same approach. It’s about cultivating microbial life in the soil, bedding, and even the air.
When you do that, something surprising happens. The chickens start to take care of themselves.
Birds raised in a KNF environment often:
Have stronger immune systems
Produce richer, darker yolks
Eat less commercial feed
Smell better (really!)
The difference is real—and you can often see it, smell it, and taste it.
A Rhythm, Not a To-Do List
KNF isn’t about checklists. It’s about learning to move with the seasons.
In spring, you might refresh bedding with forest leaves and add fermented plant juice (FPJ) made from wild greens.
In summer, fruit ferments help cool and balance the bedding system.
In fall, you shift toward minerals and gather more bedding material.
In winter, the deep litter system composts slowly, keeping the coop warm and active under the surface.
There’s less micromanaging, more observing. You’re not just “cleaning the coop”—you’re stewarding a small, thriving ecosystem.
Why This Matters
If you garden, shop at farmers’ markets, or dream of raising animals in a way that feels connected and clean—KNF gives you a new language to work with. One that listens instead of controls. One that partners with nature instead of pushing against it.
You don’t need to be a scientist to get started. You just need a little curiosity and a willingness to look at your chickens the way you’d look at a forest—full of life, full of clues.
Let the birds lead. They’ve known this way all along.
