Mareks in the flock - but now we’re moving!!

[davidmpenning]

Cull, start over, get vaccinated chicks, don’t rescue any in the future, keep your biosecurity as a main priority.

Especially because you’re looking to have a business.

One thing I’ve definitely leaned the hard way is to only buy hatching eggs. Buying live chicks/birds - even if they’re vaccinated - carries way too much risk.

 

[Folly's place]

Chicks from go9od hatcheries should be fine. Hatching eggs might be fine, as long as there's no Mg or MS in the flock of origin.
Getting birds from other sources is problematic.
Mary

 

[wolfwalker]

Hello! We’re currently looking for a new home with more land to continue our homesteading adventures. Our current flock was diagnosed with Mareks this summer, and now I’m not entirely sure what to do - keep our flock and move Mareks with us, or start over without Mareks?

We would want to eventually sell hatching eggs and even chicks in the future. I know we could easily sell hatching eggs, but chicks would be a little harder. I know it can be done with Mareks in the flock, as long as chicks are kept completed separated and confined away from the main flock (we would also be fully transparent in the sale and would vaccinate all chicks for extra safety). Still, it seems much easier to start fresh without Mareks.

But from what I’ve read in some places, there might be a benefit to trying to develop Mareks-resistance lines because people are willing to buy those chicks.

Thoughts? What would you do?

Cull all birds, why take a virulent disease to a new property and contaminate it. Also you said you want to sell hatching eggs and or chicks. to legally do that and cross state lines you need to be NPIP. You can never get to be NPIP with a Mareks flock. the USDA is really starting to crack down on egg and chick movements by non NPIP people due to Bird Flu.

for all your equipment that you have left, order Virkon S and follow the instructions to disinfect your equipment. Virkon S has been clinically proven to kill the Mareks Virus and it is not that expensive. Let dry for a week and repeat. Now your equipment can be moved with and used. Just make sure you scrub everywhere both times to ensure you have complete coverage.

 

[bhawk-23]

@bhawk-23
I’ve also read stories about people who have tested their soils for Mareks after cleaning and letting the land rest, but in all the internet searching I’ve done, I’ve never found any soil test that I can buy for Mareks. If I do find it, I would test our soil here after 6-12 months.

The Dr who did our necropsies said to cull our flock and wait for 2+ years to start new. He does the state testing at Perdue university and deals with infectious diseases. I’m sure he is being very cautious but he explained it is in our soil and we would need to somehow decontaminate our entire yard. It was all so overwhelming.

I did not think to double check his info. I’ll have to do that. Thanks!

 

[davidmpenning]

The Dr who did our necropsies said to cull our flock and wait for 2+ years to start new. He does the state testing at Perdue university and deals with infectious diseases. I’m sure he is being very cautious but he explained it is in our soil and we would need to somehow decontaminate our entire yard. It was all so overwhelming.

I did not think to double check his info. I’ll have to do that. Thanks!

That is so interesting - our vet told us it was “no big deal” because Mareks is “practically everywhere.” He told us theres no reason to cull unless they show signs of sickness. And then he taught me where to get the vaccine, how to spit it apart for multiple uses, and then how to vaccinate.

I wonder why there’s no consensus on this virus. One thing I did learn, though - there is no requirement to report Mareks in a flock. Which makes it that much harder to guarantee any chicks from hatcheries or anywhere are clean.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Which makes it that much harder to guarantee any chicks from hatcheries or anywhere are
clean.

I consider chicks form a reputable hatchery about as safe as you can get. The egg laying flocks are in separate facilities from the hatching. Marek's is not transmitted by the egg and those hatcheries sterilize the eggs before they are set. They practice good biosecurity so there isn't a way for the virus to get from the flocks laying the eggs to the chicks that have been hatched. I'll get just hatched chicks from a reputable hatchery. I will not get any chickens older than just hatched from a hatchery and I will not get living chicks from any other source because of biosecurity.

 

[bhawk-23]

That is so interesting - our vet told us it was “no big deal” because Mareks is “practically everywhere.” He told us theres no reason to cull unless they show signs of sickness. And then he taught me where to get the vaccine, how to spit it apart for multiple uses, and then how to vaccinate.

I wonder why there’s no consensus on this virus. One thing I did learn, though - there is no requirement to report Mareks in a flock. Which makes it that much harder to guarantee any chicks from hatcheries or anywhere are clean.

I think the suggestion to cull the whole flock is because the decline of the bird is awful and there is no treatment to cure. He was looking at it from the viewpoint of a dr who deals with infectious disease whereas my personal vet would be more likely to help me manage the disease.

I chose to not cull and sometimes it’s so disheartening for me to lose them one by one that the idea crosses my mind. But it always gets overruled, until the next one I cannot fix. Rinse and repeat.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

The Dr who did our necropsies said to cull our flock and wait for 2+ years to start new. He does the state testing at Perdue university and deals with infectious diseases. I’m sure he is being very cautious but he explained it is in our soil and we would need to somehow decontaminate our entire yard. It was all so overwhelming.

I did not think to double check his info. I’ll have to do that. Thanks!

The research I've read indicates it breaks down in soil between several weeks and about 6 mo, depending on temp and soil conditions. 2 years is pretty cautious.

With my conditions, I'd wait 4 mo in summer (minimum), 6 mo in winter (minimum). But probably a full year.

 

[microchick]

Marek's surviving flock and member.

My best advice is to find somebody close by who would be willing to take your flock for you knowing that they have MD exposure. Why do I say that? Because the dander that causes MD is everywhere and is known to travel at least 5 miles on the wind. I have people next door to me that keep chickens and I've gifted them chickens before knowing I had MD. Birds have done fine as they were resistant.

I also say start with vaccinated chicks and before people start tossing rocks at me for saying that, yes, I know the big debate about vaccines. Yes, I am a person of science. But personally IMHO, what helped me keep a flock that isn't dropping dead regularly is that I hatched local resistant birds from eggs I bought from an Amish neighbors' flock and when I needed or wanted to add birds to my flock, I made sure the birds were vaccinated.

I also went with Egyptian Fayoumis which are genetically resistant to MD. My OEGB Bantams are working on their third generation and knock on wood, cross my fingers and say a few heart felt prayers, I haven't lost one bird to MD from my flock in over 5 years.

Personally it would break my heart to kill all my birds (I have a flock of between 40-50 birds, many of them cherished pets). if we were facing a move but I would definitely offer them to my next door neighbors who also have a growing flock of bantams from birds I have gifted them.

Incase it hasn't been addressed. No, MD does not pass through the egg barrier. Eggs from MD positive hens are safe to hatch. I would wipe them down with a recommended antiseptic for eggs before incubating though. Oddly enough it is thought that resistant and vaccinated hens will pass on resistance to their chicks. Just make sure that both hens and roosters used for hatching are over 3 years of age, the older the better.

Please feel free to read my article about my adventures with Marek's disease:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-i-learned-to-deal-with-mareks-disease.76944/

 

[chiknut]

I personally think that you should trash everything and start new.

Bag it up so no one can scavenge it from the trash and infect their flock.

Should the people u sell to be told how to protect their new flock? Specifically what should be done? Thanks. Great question