Bent feet and turned legs

[walshj52]

At this point I'm out of ideas... I have eight birds in my original 35 keets that have feet that have turned in or legs that have bent (turned) so severely that they cant walk. Four are not going to make it past their container raising; they surf on their breast to make it to the feeder and waterer. Makes the container cleaning a morning and night job..
I've tried 1)supplements for niacin, 2)granite added (as every time before), 3)vitamins water soluble, 4)more space per keet, (then I've ever given before) 5) Thicker bedding of fine shavings.
Any other ideas that I could curtail this from happening? Thought that maybe it is in the egg before they were running around (possibly?). I just feel bad that a few of them aren't getting a fair shake at being my flock before I cull out those that will make it to my freezer. (My family does like the dark meat!)

 

[walshj52]

At this point I'm out of ideas... I have eight birds in my original 35 keets that have feet that have turned in or legs that have bent (turned) so severely that they cant walk. Four are not going to make it past their container raising; they surf on their breast to make it to the feeder and waterer. Makes the container cleaning a morning and night job..
I've tried 1)supplements for niacin, 2)granite added (as every time before), 3)vitamins water soluble, 4)more space per keet, (then I've ever given before) 5) Thicker bedding of fine shavings.
Any other ideas that I could curtail this from happening? Thought that maybe it is in the egg before they were running around (possibly?). I just feel bad that a few of them aren't getting a fair shake at being my flock before I cull out those that will make it to my freezer. (My family does like the dark meat!)

Oops forgot to say these guys are now almost eight weeks old. I've had them on 28% game bird crumbles and was just getting to the point where I wanted to mix their feed down to 22% pellets and I've order the white millet. It should be in this week and I'm moving the walking/perching/flying birds to the coop that they will call home to start training with the millet. They already know that "ginni, ginni, ginni" is their call for feeding time in the evening. I've had good success til this year. Mink got in the cage one year ago this last Spring, so I am starting over. New coop, new birds and some good old experience, at least til now...

 

[chickenmadness7]

I recently read an article about keets that had this exact same thing happen. The owner did several things. She switched the feed from game bird 28% starter to regular chick starter 19%. She also added wheat germ and selenium to their diet every day and it corrected the problem.

 

[chickenmadness7]

Read this - http://www.grit.com/animals/guinea-fowl-keet-healthcare.aspx#axzz34Cd1jeZo