A striking mahogany-red-and-white heritage turkey developed in Bourbon County, Kentucky in the late 1800s. A naturally-mating, slow-growing dual-purpose breed prized for flavorful meat and good foraging.
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From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
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Minimum
Turkey shelter + run
10 sq ft shelter + 25 sq ft run per bird
Bourbon Reds are a heritage breed (toms 23 lb, hens 14 lb), naturally mating, calm. Provide 10 sq ft shelter and 25 sq ft fenced run per bird with a 4 ft roost. Predator-proofing is essential — turkeys are night targets for raccoons and owls.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Pasture run + roost barn
12 sq ft shelter + 100 sq ft pasture per bird
Open-sided pole barn with high roosts and 100 sq ft of pasture per bird, with shade. Bourbon Reds are docile, good foragers, and a top heritage choice for small farms. Provide a covered grit/oyster shell station.
Ideal
Free-range pasture flock
Free-range 1–2 acres + roost barn, flock of 5–10
Rotated free-range pasture with a barn the flock returns to at dusk. Bourbon Reds reach full color and welfare on pasture with shade, water, and predator-safe night quarters — closest to traditional farmstead turkey raising.
Betty Longbottom / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
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Egg
Birds develop inside a hard-shelled egg incubated by the parent(s). Egg size, shell color, and clutch size vary by species; the embryo develops over days to weeks before hatching.
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Hatchling / Chick
Hatchlings are either altricial — naked, blind, and dependent on parents (typical of parrots and songbirds) — or precocial — downy, mobile, and self-feeding soon after hatching (typical of poultry and waterfowl). Down gives way to the first feathers.
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Juvenile / Fledgling
Fledglings grow in their juvenile plumage and begin to fly and feed themselves, though they may still beg from parents at first. Juvenile feathering is often duller than the adult and is replaced as the bird matures.
Adult
Adults attain full body size and mature plumage, and are capable of breeding. Many species show distinct adult coloration, and in sexually dimorphic birds males and females differ in plumage, size, or markings.
(c) Eric Schmidt, some rights reserved (CC BY) via iNaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/93649779
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Pasture or spacious run with a covered, predator-proof coop and elevated roosts; they fly and forage actively and do well free-ranging. Allow ample space, shade, and dry, well-ventilated housing. Fencing should account for their ability to fly over low barriers.
Diet
Turkey starter/grower for poults, transitioning to a maintenance ration supplemented heavily by foraging (insects, seeds, greens). Provide grit, fresh water, and oyster shell for laying hens. Their good foraging reduces feed costs on quality pasture.
Behavior & temperament
Generally calm and manageable, with toms displaying typical seasonal strutting; a naturally-mating, dual-purpose heritage bird raised for richly-flavored meat and modest egg production. Hens are capable natural mothers and can go broody. Good foragers that stay reasonably close to home.
Health
Hardy heritage breed with no extreme-conformation issues and natural fertility. Standard turkey health concerns apply: blackhead (histomoniasis — avoid co-grazing with chickens), coccidiosis and chilling in young poults, and external parasites. Conservation status 'Watch' (Livestock Conservancy), so genetics are worth preserving.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Keep poults warm, dry, and on non-slip footing for the first weeks. Avoid rearing on ground shared with chickens to limit blackhead. The red color breeds fairly true; select breeders with correct mahogany body and clean white flight/tail feathers. A good homestead choice for self-sustaining flocks.
