The Bourbon Red which was developed from the Buff [Turkey] by selection is certainly a U.S. product. Development started in Pennsylvania with the selection of Jersey Buffs for deeper color. The result was called Tuscarora Red, sometimes Tuscawara Red. Settlers heading west took them to Kentucky along with the long rifle. Final development was centered in Kentucky and southern Ohio where they were also called Kentucky Reds and Bourbon Butternuts. Except for the required white flight feathers, the Bourbon Red pattern is just a darker, richer version of the buff pattern. Claims that the Bourbon Red was discovered in the wild are without merit.
This popular turkey is believed to have been developed from the Tuscarora Red turkey. The Tuscarora, or Tuscawara, was developed in Pennsylvania by selecting Buffs for darker color. The Tuscarora Reds were taken to Kentucky where their development was continued until the deep reddish-brown color of the Bourbon Red was finalized. At one time, they were called Bourbon Butternuts and/or Kentucky Reds, but the name or the variety did not become popular until around the turn of the century when they were promoted as the turkey from Bourbon County, Kentucky. The Bourbon Red was [accepted] into the APA Standard in 1909, and Mr. Barbee of Bourbon County, Kentucky, had been given credit for its origin. Their weights are 33 pounds for toms and 18 for hens. It has been a popular breed for many years, and today it remains the most numerous of Historical turkeys.
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