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Hunter it seems like you have researched your feed pretty well,....Generally I keep my breeders on 18 or 19% feed until a month before lay then put on a breeder ration,...as with anything bird health before onset of lay is very important especially for the hen who goes through a huge change as she comes into laying you should notice a marked increase in food and water consumption. I have done test trials of one group against another and cutting on quality of feed does effect you eventually if not directly in egg production then in hatchability or chick quality.

But it seems like your ration is working for you so I would stick with it for now,....don't know your set-up but if you are going to try something different do half the flock on the new feed ration half on the other and you will then know what is working and what isn't. you would have to track all the way through egg production and hatching but that would allow a cost benefit analysis without putting all your eggs in one basket.

As you stated that the quail you had couldn't handle free range grit,....my experience is if it is milled feed and not pelletized the birds are going to pick out what they want anyhow and scrath out the rest.