# do roller crosses still roll



## droper (Apr 27, 2011)

I'm wondering if you mate a roller with a fancy breed or another preforming breed that isn't known for rolling will the offspring still roll. Or will they completely lose the ability to roll? Or what about a roller x tumler mix. I know some of you must have encountered a cross like this before.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

the roller gene (ro) is recessive so all the young will carry the gene but not roll, If you paired one of the offspring back to a roller parent you would get birds that roll but the quality would not be ideal

Roller - tumbler would work as they both carry the ro gene but you would be undoing years of work with regards to the rollers ability to spin,


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## Jasmeet Singh (Aug 13, 2012)

I know a lot of about rollers genetics, but i never heard any1 crossing a fancy breed with a roller. But there are a fancy breed for rollers which are just for show and dont roll...MY GUESS IS PROBABLY NOT, BECAUSE THE OFFSPRING WILL HAVE A LOT OF GENES FROM THE FANCY PIGEON AND SOME FROM THE ROLLER PIGEON... THIS MAY CAUSE THE ROLLER NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACTUALLY ROLL... ALSO, SINCE MOST FANCY PIGEONS DONT FLY THE GENES MAY TRANSFER OVER TO THE OFFSPRING AND THEY WONT BE ABLE TO FLY SO WONT BE ABLE TO ROLL UNLESS THEY R PARLOUR ROLLERS(THEY ROLL ON THE GROUND)... SO MY OVERALL GUESS IS NO.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

Jasmeet, If you know a lot about roller genetics you would have heard of the ro gene and know its recessive yeah? Therefore, None of the offspring will roll.

Any cross from this mating will fly as any of the charectiristics of the non flying fancy will be diluted down by the roller to the point the bird will fly, It may not be the strongest flier but it will fly thats for sure.


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## 2y4life (Apr 5, 2010)

Yes and no. There are those that have crossed rollers onto other breeds and will get F1s that don't roll at all and other F1s that will still tumble/roll. One definite thing you will get is an inferior quality performing pigeon so there's really no need to cross breed but again, if you have the time and you like it, more power to you.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

I have a line of tipplers that I believe came from tumblers or rollers, They sit and act like they could be het for the gene, I am still to cross one to a roller and see what happens.

I have never seen or heard of a bird that was prooven to be het ro that rolls or tumbles but maybe there is a need to redo the studies they did on the performance gene.


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## 2y4life (Apr 5, 2010)

NZ Pigeon said:


> I have a line of tipplers that I believe came from tumblers or rollers, They sit and act like they could be het for the gene, I am still to cross one to a roller and see what happens.
> 
> I have never seen or heard of a bird that was prooven to be het ro that rolls or tumbles but maybe there is a need to redo the studies they did on the performance gene.


I don't want this to turn into an argument but rather a discussion so I hope it can stay that way. I will say I disagree with your line of thinking that it's simply the "ro" gene that makes rollers roll. Yes Quinn and Doc. Hollander assigned the "ro" gene and stated that it was recessive. But with that said, there's more to it than that as I do not think it is a SINGLE gene. There have been alot of guys that have accidently crossed their rollers with commies/fancies that will still roll/tumble. 

Simply put, the "ro" gene as simple as say a cock bird that is **** ash-red with an ash-red hen producing ONLY ash-red youngs. With a **** ash-red cock and an ash-red hen, you get only ash-red youngs. If the ro gene was a simple as that, meaning all you need is a bird to be **** "ro", we'd all have nothing but rollers. The fact still stands that two pure Birmingham Rollers can still throw you complete stiffs, non-rolling pigeons even though the youngs are **** "ro". The youngs from two pure BRs would have to be **** "ro" yet they can still be complete, non-rolling stiffs and that's why I think there's more to the "ro" gene than a simple need for a bird to be **** for them to roll.


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