Buff Turkey

     The Buff or the Jersey Buff, is a historic breed of Turkeys named for the beautiful buff color of its feathers. The bird’s origin is disputed as different strains for this bird appeared simultaneously. But it’s believed that the main origin is the USA, where it gained much popularity and became known to the world. Buff Turkeys were also the main breed used in the development of the Bourbon Red in the late 1800s.

     The Buff Turkey has rich reddish-buff colored plumage, with white tail feathers crossed with light buff bars near the end. Flight feathers are of a lighter color and sometimes they are almost white. Buff hens are similar in color to the toms, but they are usually lighter especially when they grow older.

     Buff turkeys were very popular in the past, perhaps due to the fact they were beautiful and produced a nice carcass with light pin feathers. However, breeding to produce properly colored specimens was a challenge, that’s why other breeds like the Bourbon Red was developed. Later, the Buff Turkey’s numbers declined drastically and it was considered rare by the beginning of the 20^th century. Luckily, interests in this variety returned, but the bird is still rare and used mainly in small scale farms and exhibition purposes.