Heritage Breed Turkeys: Kentucky’s Bourbon Red Turkey

A short look at one breed of heritage turkeys, the Bourbon Reds.

Reader Contribution by The Historic Foodie
Updated on August 11, 2022
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by Pexels/Oleksandr Pidvalnyi

Wondering which of the heritage breed turkeys is best for you? Consider the Bourbon Red turkey, a free-ranging bird that is making a comeback on small farms.

Early publications place the origins of the Bourbon Red turkey in Bourbon County, Kentucky, probably a cross between the wild turkeys found in mountainous areas of Kentucky and the white domestic. The American Standard of Perfection accepts their creation in Bourbon County from the wild yellow turkey. From Kentucky, the turkeys were distributed into Ohio and other locales. They were admitted to the American Standard in 1910 and were thought likely to supersede the Jersey Buff.

There are contradictory published accounts of the origins of this majestic bird. One school of thought places their creation in Pennsylvania where it descended from the Tuscarora red and Buffs. That account states that from Pennsylvania, the breed was taken to Kentucky where the color was enhanced.

Bourbon Red Turkey

Bourbon Reds were thought to be more disease-resistant than other breeds at a time when the bronze was dying from a disease called blackhead.

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