# Crashers



## billywhizz (Jan 5, 2015)

I have a good Birmingham roller that i keep as my main stock cock, he breeds good rollers but nearly half turn out to be crashers, mostly they kill themselves but some do survive which i have to either dispose of or shut them in for ever more,

I have tried keeping them in for while to see if they grow out of it but it does not work some of them start rolling after a minute or so and just don't stop until they hit the deck,
It is heartbreaking to see these beautiful and well bred pigeons start this when they have been flying for six months, 
My question to the fancy is,

Does any body know for a fact that if bred from would crashers only produce crashers, or is the "crashing" gene a random occurrence that may not necessarily reproduce itself, particularly if new blood were introduced? 

Of course I have the option to try it and see, but i also have my conscience to deal with. thanks for reading my post.


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## Chuck K (Jan 12, 2013)

*Roll Downs*

What you put into the breeder loft is what you will get out. If the birds are crashing down from any height they are pure rolldowns and worthless. If that is the case I would stop breeding out of the cock throwing them.

If they are only rolling down as they take off or come in, you could have feed issues. Railing out hot rollers can result in more having accidents at take off and landing. If they were fed up they might have more stability. I have heard that feeding a mix high in corn will make the birds infrequent. I have never tried it, but you might give it a go to give the birds time to mature and get control.

You didn't say anything about the birds age, but in my experience with a couple of different families of birds; birds that come in to the roll at less than four months old tend to end up rolling down. I have seen birds come into a hard roll at two to two and half months old, and to a bird none of those survived two weeks after beginning to roll.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Chuck K said:


> What you put into the breeder loft is what you will get out. If the birds are crashing down from any height they are pure rolldowns and worthless. If that is the case I would stop breeding out of the cock throwing them.
> 
> If they are only rolling down as they take off or come in, you could have feed issues. Railing out hot rollers can result in more having accidents at take off and landing. If they were fed up they might have more stability. I have heard that feeding a mix high in corn will make the birds infrequent. I have never tried it, but you might give it a go to give the birds time to mature and get control.
> 
> ...


 I agree with Chuck completely. I am getting back into Rollers after a Break of about 5 years. And the LAST bird i would want is a roll down Breeder, PERIOD.


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