As Philip and I get closer to making the move to the homestead permanent, it’s time to secure the resources we need to get the farm off the ground successfully. Since attending the lectures of Shawn and Beth Dougherty at Homesteaders of America in 2022, we are workings towards the goal of producing not only…
It started rather innocently, I noticed that the Broad breasted turkeys looked like they had injured their waddles, both of them. I couldn’t figure out how they would have done this. They walk the fence lines some, but certainly not enough to hurt themselves and their feathers were intact. Turkeys that walk the fences, usually…
When people use the term “homestead” animals are usually a part of that image. Here at Kowalski Mountain, it’s important that our animals on the homestead have a purpose that brings enrichment to the farm. Some animals on the homestead are working members of the team, others provide nourishment while others provide companionship. We currently…
Several years ago, Philip and I decided to raise turkey as a replacement for chicken, with the idea we would get more bang for our buck raising larger birds. We purchased our very first trio of Narragansett heritage turkeys locally. We discovered first and foremost that we don’t care for turkey as a replacement for…
Butchering day on the homestead brings about a range of emotions regardless of how long you may have been raising your own meat animals. It can be quite intimidating for the first-time home meat processor. I reassure you, that processing your own poultry at home, really is something that you can do! It requires minimal…
Part of a homesteading lifestyle is working towards a more self-sufficient lifestyle. Harvesting and raising our own food is a part of that process. While we are living in a temporary living situation in the RV, our ability to produce a significant amount of food is limited, however, raising Cornish Cross Broilers for meat chicken…
A big part of a homesteading lifestyle is the ability to provide food for one’s family. This comes in a variety of methods, from growing and raising your own to hunting and foraging. Possibly purchasing from a farmers’ market or directly from a local farm. While many animals require a minimum amount of land that…
As I have endeavored to improve the Kowalski Mountain website, I took a leap of faith and invested in a blogging course earlier this year. While I know I have a long way to go, I have learned so much and have worked so hard to improve our online presence at kowalskimountain.com. One of the greatest…
This summer, Philip and I are caring for the home of his parents Danny and Joy Murphy. As retirees, they are spending the summer at Kowalski Mountain. They have quite the flock of birds, about 30 chickens, and 8 turkeys of varying ages. A group of the younger turkeys are escape artists and have been…
Momma turkey disappeared on us a few weeks ago. We looked high and low for her, suspecting she figured out how to escape her new home. I found her, quietly sitting in the corner of the yard. Our newly constructed poultry yard was quite dense with undergrowth and she easily blended in. As I approached…
