Maraks - info please

[BabyBantam]

Hi,
I'm after some info about Maraks - I recently lost a bird (possibly 2) to this dreadful disease and the vet advised me not to restock until I had an empty coop due to re-infection/carriers etc. (Hoping this won't be for a long time as I've still got 3 healthy birds). I was also told to rest the ground for a 3 month period to clean it. I'm happy & understand the reasoning for this...
My question is - am I able to continue to compost their shavings, poo and straw as I currently do, or will this just delay & spread the possible infection back into my land when I dig the compost back in next year. Also, am I at risk of passing anything to the wild bird population by allowing my current chooks to free range in the garden. I've totally disinfected everything and moved the ark, as I do weekly, but am wondering about the long term issues if one of the birds is a carrier or infected with the virus.
Thanks.

 

[Bertie & The Chooks]

There's heaps of info on this link. I personally would burn their dirty litter and shavings and not compost it. I would also treat the land and leave to rest for some time. I would speak to Defra about infecting the wildlife if you are worried. http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/90/mareks-disease

 

[ccm]

Good info here as well...

http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf

 

[chrismahon]

Was Mareks confirmed by autopsy? Have your remaining three been innoculated against it?

Reason I ask is it may have been Lymphoid Lucosis. Symptoms are very similar and often confused. You wouldn't need all the precautions if that is the case. Although it is apparently virus based it only rarely occurs, triggered by stress situations. It is so widespread that all chickens can be assumed to be carrying it and there is no vaccine against it. We've lost one definite and one probable to it.

 

[BabyBantam]

Hi,
Thanks for the links/info, will heed Berties advice and get rid of the litter etc.
Just to confirm, I had an autopsy done on the second bird. I was also told that they'd been vacinated when I bought them, but for whatever reason, it seems that it didn't work.
I've notified everyone that needs to know and can only hope the other birds will be ok.