I've always feed pelleted feeds to all my birds, large fowl and bantams. However, I have found that the Southern States pellet is smaller than the Purina. As for the chocking hazard, they need access to water. If they didn't have enough water, that is what probably caused the chocking.
Try calling the TSC and see if they will exchange the feed.
Try calling the TSC and see if they will exchange the feed.