How do you know if an animal is a carrier or likely to become affected?ДЄll individuals of these breeds are likely to be affected.ДЁ. There is clearly a genetic basis to these behaviours.Д§. There are no treatments.ДЄll members of the affected breeds show these abnormal behaviours but to varying degrees. These abnormal behaviours develop at a few months of age and then persist for life. Injuries from this totally unnatural method of movement, of rolling over the ground, are also likely. The seizure-like somersaulting on the ground may cause severe disorientation and distress.

They are affected by a total inability to fly, and therefore the ability to escape from fear in the normal way for pigeons. The movement disability suffered by Parlor tumblers is severe.

It is possible that a fleeting tumble in flight is not associated with unpleasant feelings but there is little doubt that welfare is affected when the condition is severe and leads to trauma due to collisions in flight or when tumbling on the ground.Д¬ollision with the ground, trees or building when tumbling is likely to result in injuries which may be severe and painful. The latter seems more likely as if it was a behaviour the bird had control over it seems unlikely that it would perform it to the extent that it hit the ground or to the extent that it would merely tumble over the ground at times when escape flight was required (eg to avoid a cat). An affected individual might do it because it has been selected to enjoy this behaviour and so does it deliberately, or it may be that it is unable to prevent it, in which case it may be a source of frustration. How the bird experiences the act of tumbling in flight is not known. Flight is a normal response to fear, and the inability to escape in this way when startled may cause fear-related stress and distress. This abnormal behaviour is exploited in competitions in which owners of these pigeons compete to find whose bird covers the most ground by tumbling over it.ДЇlight is an inherent behaviour for pigeons, something that they are born with a motivation to do, and so an inability to fly normally is likely to have adverse welfare consequences. When attempting to fly they, instead, somersault backwards across the ground until exhausted or they cease their attempt to fly. In this breed, selection for tumbling has resulted in strains that can no longer fly, but which tumble as soon as they intend to take wing.

This is known to owners as a rolldown.ДЄ more extreme form of this somersaulting abnormality is characteristic of the Parlor tumbler breed. However, sometimes during the somersaulting they will collide with the ground or with trees or buildings causing traumatic injuries which may be severe or fatal. Usually the birds regain control within a few seconds and continue to fly on in a normal manner. Birds which tend to show multiple somersaults are called rollers. Tumbler pigeons can fly normally most of the time but, in flight, have been specifically selected so that they show intermittent episodes in which they tumble вЂ“ somersault backwards вЂ“ and fall. (for more information click on the links below) The consequences to the birds are difficult to assess but are clearly adverse when they lead to injuries due to hitting the ground or tumbling over it. Outline : The roller and tumbler breeds of pigeon have been selected for tumbling behaviour in flight, to the extent that some tumblers can no longer fly but, instead, tumble as soon as they intend to take wing. Related terms : backward somersaulting, rolldowns

Pathological fear of flying