Hi.
Since I always have birds at different life stages and most are dual purpose I feed Purina flock raiser 20% protein with oyster shell on the side for layers. Dual purpose birds will do better with more protein than the standard 16% that is the MINIMUM meant to support a light bodied layer like leghorn. I don't aim for minimums. Its also readily available at a price I can accept ($17/50#), and with a fresh mill date. It is a happy medium for my flock. The more protein also helps them get through molt easier and faster.
Unlike the person who doesn't feed processed feed... I have seen too many incidence where the birds can pick what they want out of the more whole grain type feeds and end up with fatty liver syndrome because lets face it we all like the yummy stuff and leave behind the healthier options. Of course that won't happen to everyone. But I like my minerals and such mixed in the feed instead of hanging on the bottom of the bag.
I used to ferment exclusively for about 2 years... Too much work for my size flock, exaggerated savings by most people, and no serious increase or decrease in my flock overall health or appearance. People always talk about what goes up in the mix, but never really talk about what went down or changes that... WAS ALREADY formulated to meet the chickens needs.
To me, all your girls except the Silkie are dual purpose. And if she goes broody all the time, I wouldn't want her on layer... since the calcium *could* be too much and cause kidney issues long term to birds not in lay. Also Silkies have so much feathers and they are made from 90% protein and it's amino acids, so I still feed them flock raiser. Crumbles or pellets is just a term to describe the shape of the feed. You may not be able to get one or the other, depending on which feed you are looking at. Younger birds like chicks need crumble. You can switch to pellets if you and your birds like, some people find less waste that with pellets. The crumbles do have a bit of feed dust in them. It still get's eaten but I might consider fermenting it as a treat.
Starter, grower, layer, all flock... confusing terms that describe different protein and calcium levels for the most part. I like 18-20% protein with OS on the side.
I really like to sprout or fodder depending on season for my birds. I have great luck sprouting barley. But there are lots of options. I also grow live meal worm and have done red wigglers in a composting bin in the past! It's not warm enough here for black soldier fly larva, but those might be a faster turn around than live meal worms... which is a very slow process. I keep them on wheat bran. Good protein but high fat always mind the 10% treat rule to avoid health issues.
Good luck. Your flock sounds lovely.
