Can you help me help a struggling chick?
Hi, all. Thank you in advance for any help or advice you're able to offer. I'm a teacher and my classroom has been incubating a dozen eggs as a great hands-on program through a local 4H club. On Wednesday, 9 of our eggs hatched seamlessly and they're happy as clams in the brooder set-up. One little egg had a really tough hatch, was working on it for over a day and needed some help in the last bit to even get out before he arrived Friday morning. (see attached photo for post-hatch appearance)
Over the first 5-7 hours after hatching, lil buddy didn't move much at all. He would kick his legs and try to move, but absolutely no standing and very little neck control.
I brought him home from my school in the incubator so I could help him over the weekend. From what I've been able to research online, I'm thinking it might be wry neck? He's regularly going through spurts of shaking, kicking/flailing legs, but still chirping. His neck is definitely not in control. Currently we are at about 37 hours post-hatching. I do think he's improved in the sense that he's fluffed up a bit and is trying to move somewhat and (I think) trying to put up a fight to live. He looks a whole lot better than he did yesterday, as seen in the pictures. But still, he cannot stand, has not opened eyes (from what I can tell), and the neck will not stay up.
What I've done so far:
-Kept him in the incubator at 99° and 70% humidity the whole time. He didn't fluff up until this morning, and still there are pieces of his body that look either not fluffed yet or not fully feathered.
-Mixed 3 packets of electrolytes/vitamins, probiotics, and "durastat" with a gallon of water, and I've been hand feeding him this mix with a little dropper throughout the day today. When presented with the water, he's drinking it, though he struggles to get his neck into a water cup/teaspoon on his own. I went to a feed store and these were the nutrients recommended (see photo).
-Tried to place him in a little cup to promote strengthening of the legs and neck being able to stay up on his own. I only kept him in it for small periods of time because I figured being in the heat of the incubator was more important.
I'm really at a loss. I want to help so badly it's breaking my heart. I have my brooder set-up at my school with the 9 others and I can take him there if it's what's best, but I can't seem to get a clear answer from the research I've tried to do. At this point, I don't think he'd be able to get water or food on his own at all.
Should I try a different food/water? Should I be giving him water/nutrients more regularly? Should I keep trying to help him stand? Should I just be patient and hopefully in time he'll get some strength with the help of the nutrients? Any advice is extremely welcome. Thank you all in advance for helping me help little Henry (the name my students voted on before he hatched)!