"IF" your current chicks got Marek's from the ground that the other chickens were on 3+ years ago, a 2 year wait may not help. The only way to get by that is to disinfect what you can, and do it periodically, and if you get chicks or hatch them, they need to be vaccinated day one, and kept quarantined from the flock for (I do 2 months).
I've read from more than one expert that you should assume that everyone's flock carries it. It will always be around since there is no cure for it, only a vaccine that help the chicken from dying from the symptoms. That's it. And even vaccinated chicks can become carriers if exposed.
The only way to control it is to vaccinate and quarantine all new chicks. Do not add adults, clean and disinfect often. You may lose one here and there, but there is nothing more that you can do. Farmers that raise chicken for public meat also practice "all in all out" and disinfect between batches, which is possible if your chickens live on cement that can be disinfected.
Since Marek's itself can not be eliminated, eventually most flocks will carry it. There is no way to stop it. Just cut down on the chicks/chickens that die from it.
You can still sell hatching eggs, since it is not likely to be carried by them.
This information is from a University Reference book called "Diseases of Poultry", Chief Editor, Y. M. Saif. There must be near 1,000 entries gathered into this book from scientists, researchers, and experts. There is no better source of facts/theories than this book.
If anyone wants a direct quote from this book, let me know. It's too lengthy to copy the whole section.
I've read from more than one expert that you should assume that everyone's flock carries it. It will always be around since there is no cure for it, only a vaccine that help the chicken from dying from the symptoms. That's it. And even vaccinated chicks can become carriers if exposed.
The only way to control it is to vaccinate and quarantine all new chicks. Do not add adults, clean and disinfect often. You may lose one here and there, but there is nothing more that you can do. Farmers that raise chicken for public meat also practice "all in all out" and disinfect between batches, which is possible if your chickens live on cement that can be disinfected.
Since Marek's itself can not be eliminated, eventually most flocks will carry it. There is no way to stop it. Just cut down on the chicks/chickens that die from it.
You can still sell hatching eggs, since it is not likely to be carried by them.
This information is from a University Reference book called "Diseases of Poultry", Chief Editor, Y. M. Saif. There must be near 1,000 entries gathered into this book from scientists, researchers, and experts. There is no better source of facts/theories than this book.
If anyone wants a direct quote from this book, let me know. It's too lengthy to copy the whole section.
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