For those flocks that aren't all laying, a grower or finisher feed works well. If the protein is too high in your opinion, you can cut that with a low protein grain like corn or buckwheat.
Barley, wheat, oats and rye are about 12%; Corn, millet, milo and buckwheat are about 9%; rice is about 7%.
If you have a less expensive source of whole grain, it can reduce your overall feed cost.
Trouble is, a significant price break doesn't come unless you buy by the ton.
I have a source of 16% organic grower which one flock is getting. The rest are getting a 15% finisher and supplementing the protein for younger birds with fishmeal and sprouted flax, sunflower, wheat and field peas.
One won't know what the sudden death was unless they did a necropsy.
Gout causes sudden death and unless it is investigated, one could easily overlook nutrition as the cause.
This 2011 study at the University of Arkansas showed that rooster broiler breeders died at nearly 4 times the rate of hens in the breeder flock. The whole flock was fed a 3.25% Ca and 0.4% P ration.
Necropsies indicated the excess Ca was responsible for 44% to have asymmetrical kidneys and 7% visible kidney stones. These birds had only been on the diet less than a year.
http://www.pjbs.org/ijps/fin1947.pdf
Other studies show that not all breeds or lines of chickens are affected the same way.
My birds are extremely rare. One would be hard pressed to find even one Black Penedesenca rooster to buy anywhere in the US let alone one without flaws. I'm not inclined to take chances with such a small gene pool.
Sit back and remember some good ol days. Have a great day!
