Marek’s positive flock - what to do with the bedding?

[WaveyCreekChickens]

I recently had a sick young rooster necropsied. They did a PCR test, and it was Marek’s. Back in October a pullet died with the same signs.
I have 5 adults and 3 young hens left. For now, all I know is, I am letting the chickens outlive their lives. Trying to prepare myself that more young ones may succumb to it.
It is all very overwhelming.

But on the practical side…
Those of you with Marek’s positive flocks, what do you do when you clean out the coop? Do you bag up all the bedding and take it to the dump? (I’m thinking, the bags will split open there and poof, the virus will spread from there). Do you use it in your garden or compost? (Same thing, the dust will blow on the wind).

I don’t want to spread the virus more than is unavoidable.

 

[WaveyCreekChickens]

Bump

 

[Sussex19]

For what it's worth, what I would do is compost it, carefully damping it down to stop the dust from flying around.
I may have Mareks, but live far from any other chickens, so don't need to worry about that aspect that much.
How close are the nearest other chickens that it could spread to?

 

[aart]

Burn it.

 

[neo71665]

X2 burn it

 

[WaveyCreekChickens]

Do you have Marek’s and is that what you do?

It is illegal to burn manure where I live.

 

[WaveyCreekChickens]

For what it's worth, what I would do is compost it, carefully damping it down to stop the dust from flying around.
I may have Mareks, but live far from any other chickens, so don't need to worry about that aspect that much.
How close are the nearest other chickens that it could spread to?

That is a great idea.
I am not sure, but likely there are chicken owners within a 5 mile radius from us.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Make a covered pile of it and burn it in small batches over time so that it is not "burning manure" as much as "burning wood shavings for a fire". Small batches wont have the smell people are upset by - hence the manure burning ban.

 

[Sussex19]

That is a great idea.
I am not sure, but likely there are chicken owners within a 5 mile radius from us.

And my thinking for not burning it, is every time one of your chickens flaps its wings, lots of dander flies off anyway.
Unless you want to cull are your chickens, (which I don't think is at all necessarily) you can only do the best you can.
If you handle it carefully and keep it moist, I don't think much at all will get in the air, and once its composted even if the virus is still in it, (which it probably will be) it won't go anywhere.
Apart from where you put it, of cause, so bear in mind that where ever you put the compost, the virus will go too; so maybe keep it in the same area as the chickens.
At least there isn't any other chickens just over the fence, so hopefully you can keep it contained

 

[WaveyCreekChickens]

And my thinking for not burning it, is every time one of your chickens flaps its wings, lots of dander flies off anyway.
Unless you want to cull are your chickens, (which I don't think is at all necessarily) you can only do the best you can.
If you handle it carefully and keep it moist, I don't think much at all will get in the air, and once its composted even if the virus is still in it, (which it probably will be) it won't go anywhere.
Apart from where you put it, of cause, so bear in mind that where ever you put the compost, the virus will go too; so maybe keep it in the same area as the chickens.
At least there isn't any other chickens just over the fence, so hopefully you can keep it contained

Thank you so much for this.