Not an Emergency...Marek's in the Flock

[schnebbles]

I'm not worried about the strain. And, talking with this doctor and some other things I read on a silkie page on facebook, I'm going to try it. It's not going to hurt and if there is any chance of it helping, I'm willing to try it.

I know everyone says it won't do anything. This is actually the first time I've read anything positive about it.

 

[seminolewind]

I think everyone should try anything. I just hate seeing people get their hopes up when nothing may happen.

 

[schnebbles]

they aren't up too high, don't worry. Just making sure I do what I can do.

 

[Nambroth]

they aren't up too high, don't worry. Just making sure I do what I can do.

That's all any of us can do. We know how you feel, I'm thinking of you and your birds.

 

[schnebbles]

thank you. I'm not sure what to do. We are going on vacation in a few days and I have to have someone take care of inside birds...

 

[PoultryPedia]

Schnebbles--Do you have a garage you could possibly put them in where someone could come care for them without coming in the house (if you're more comfortable with that)? You could possibly put heat lamps up for the birds & plug them into timers so they are only on at night so the birds don't overheat during the day.

 

[toritori]

Our girls are free range too, so if it is Marek's it is all over my entire property. We are due for snow and Saranac Lake is repeatedly the cold spot of the nation. Will the freezing temps kill off the remaining contagion? I can deal with the coop, it is the great outdoors that I find daunting.

 

[toritori]

Ask your local hardware about setting up a heat lamp on a thermostat. It is not very expensive to do and would prevent overheating or freezing, especially if the temperature changes significantly while you are away.

 

[BigECarter]

Our girls are free range too, so if it is Marek's it is all over my entire property.  We are due for snow and Saranac Lake is repeatedly the cold spot of the nation.  Will the freezing temps kill off the remaining contagion?  I can deal with the coop, it is the great outdoors that I find daunting.

Marek's is a virus. I get the impression that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate. I'm not an expert, but I don't think freezing temperatures kill viruses.

 

[Nambroth]

Our girls are free range too, so if it is Marek's it is all over my entire property. We are due for snow and Saranac Lake is repeatedly the cold spot of the nation. Will the freezing temps kill off the remaining contagion? I can deal with the coop, it is the great outdoors that I find daunting.

If it is Marek's, and you can confirm it:
In short, no- Marek's is a herpesvirus and it is very good at living outside of a host for months or even years. It may reduce the amount of virus that survives in your soil/on the ground/environment but you cannot realistically hope for winter to eliminate it even in your climate. While I don't think we get as cold as you do there, last winter we had a very long winter and temps below -30 for sometimes several days at a time and sadly it was during the winter that wild birds (I am assuming) brought the virus onto my property and infected my flock.

The means to remove it entirely from the environment/ground are extreme, expensive, and environmentally destructive. For most of us it is not worth it, especially when it could just come in again via the environment or even via ourselves. I know I have unwittingly tracked it into my home.. I could just as easily track it back out again even if I cleaned my house top to bottom. As it travels on chicken dander-- that is to say, dust-- you'd need clean-room levels of precautions to be sure to be rid of it entirely.

You can also assume, if one of your flock has or had Marek's, that any other chicken it lived around for the last month or three has it or carries it.