Is free choice a brand or do you mean letting them roam around on their own looking for food? I do make sure to always leave grit around.
You might be right about the dehydration. I read that it was okay to leave their water outside but I didn't know what time they wake up so I usually open the door around 8AM but it looks like they get up really early. I wanted to keep their coop dry but I'm going to have to get a rabbit bottle waterer and put it inside their coop to make sure they always have access to water if they need it. I usually leave a feeder hanging inside the coop and keep it filled but since it looked like he was getting too big too fast I've been just giving them some feed twice a day.
The chick starter is fine! I would feed that until the pullet comes into lay, then if you want to, you can switch to layer feed or feed an all flock type feed. Provide oyster shell in a small cup inside the coop when the pullet starts laying eggs.Yes, I only have 2 birds. I didn't notice this yesterday and you can probably see in the picture but his crop does look very full. I watched a video on how to empty it, so I would tilt him over and very gently massage his crop, making sure to bring him back up every now and then for air, until it empties out his mouth... then I would feed him a yogurt and Pedialyte mixture to make sure he gets some good bacteria back in. Is there anything else I should do? It's kind of cold today. Should I bring them inside and wrap him in a towel? I wouldn't feel right leaving the other one out by herself.
You feared he was getting too big too quickly? That is a cockerel, so he's going to get big. Do you happen to remember what breed he's supposed to be?
Feed them free choice means you make feed available during waking hours - they will eat what they need.
If your only feeding twice a day, they may be hungry and trying to find other things to eat which may be why the crop is not emptying. Re-check the crop first thing in the morning to make sure it's emptying completely.
I would not vomit him again. You risk aspiration. See that he's drinking and eating well. See what the crop is like tomorrow.
No, I would not bring them inside - why? Chickens can do perfectly fine outside. How cold is it?