When news of a bird flu outbreak was first announced in October last year, there was shock and worry among poultry owners and farmers.<\/p>\n
More than three months on and with \u201cflockdown\u201d restrictions still in place, Katriona Shovlin, who runs Hen Weekend in Upchurch, has spoken to KentOnline about the impact it has had on her mental health and day-to-day life…<\/p>\n
Katriona Shovlin, also known as Kat, runs Hen Weekend in Upchurch. Picture: Cara Simmonds<\/p>\n
Kat, who describes herself as a \u201cfull-time hen-trepreneur\u201d, set up her business more than two years ago.<\/p>\n
The mum-of-one noticed a gap in the market for temporary accommodation for chickens when she was looking for somewhere to board her own birds.<\/p>\n
Animals at her \u201call-inclusive hotel\u201d receive food, bedding and an afternoon treat<\/a> of corn.<\/p>\n She even appeared on hit BBC series Dragon Den<\/a> last January, where she pitched her quirky idea.<\/p>\n Before the arrival of avian influenza, there were automatic sliding doors from the hen houses into the chicken run so the birds could come and go as they pleased. They were even serenaded with classical music at all times.<\/p>\n However, that all changed on October 28 when official word came from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that a case of bird flu had been confirmed nearby.<\/p>\n Overnight, it meant she was unable to move the hens or give them back to their owners without a special licence.<\/p>\n It also meant she could not take on any new animals, which was her main source of income.<\/p>\n \u201cSome days have been really heavy and dark,\u201d she explained. \u201cI can\u2019t really describe it. It\u2019s just been hard and sad.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the social aspect of things \u2013 not seeing my customers. Talking to people over the internet is not the same.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the poultry world, we call this flockdown instead of lockdown. It is literally like Covid-19 all over again.<\/p>\n \u201cAll the other owners are feeling the same way, we\u2019ve got like our own little community. This is our life.\u201d<\/p>\n In what has now become part of her day-to-day routine, Kat has to dip her wellies into bowls filled with a bird flu disinfectant, approved by Defra, before and after she sees her hens.<\/p>\n It ensures nothing can be transferred that is picked up from the ground.<\/p>\n She also has plastic tarpaulins secured in place and fruit netting surrounding the chicken run.<\/p>\n Not only does it make it weatherproof, but more importantly, it keeps wild birds from flying in and helping themselves to water and food, which would potentially pass on the virus.<\/p>\n There are signs to wash your hands scattered around the site \u2013 a constant reminder that bird flu has not gone away.<\/p>\n Kat has nine hens of her own and eight that have been housed in the hotel since last January.<\/p>\n They began their stay at Hen Weekend as their owner had fallen ill but, due to the restrictions, the months have now turned into a year.<\/p>\n On social media, Kat has kept her clients up-to-date with what has been happening and also revealed how it has been \u201csuch an uphill struggle\u201d.<\/p>\n Not only is it affecting her financially, but her mental health is suffering.<\/p>\n \u201cHen Weekend isn\u2019t just a business, it\u2019s my passion, my purpose, and what keeps me going every single day,\u201d she wrote on her Facebook page.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving that suddenly taken away has been incredibly hard.\u201d<\/p>\n Kat told KentOnline she was worried about losing customers.<\/p>\n \u201cBut mostly I don\u2019t want people forgetting about this sort of service,\u201d she added. \u201cWhat I\u2019m most scared of is people experiencing this lockdown as a bad thing and giving up their hens.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are amazing pets to keep \u2013 don\u2019t let this put you off, because I know how special they are.<\/p>\n \u201cI want more and more people to get them, not give them up.\u201d<\/p>\n The virus was first detected at the end of October at the Happy Pants Ranch in Newington.<\/a><\/p>\n A further two cases<\/a> were confirmed at large commercial poultry flocks in nearby farms.<\/p>\nBird flu restrictions have been in place since the first outbreak in late October. Picture: Cara Simmonds<\/p>\n
You have to wash your wellies in a Defra-approved disinfectant. Picture: Cara Simmonds
The 33-year-old says it has now become part of her daily routine. Picture: Cara Simmonds<\/p>\n
The current zones within Sittingbourne and the surrounding areas as of February 2026<\/p>\n
The hens would normally be allowed in a wider pen to roam, but instead have to be kept in the chicken run. Picture: Cara Simmonds<\/p>\n
One of the lodgings at the hen hotel, left empty due to the outbreak. Picture: Cara Simmonds<\/p>\n