Bird flu flockdown? 5-star chicken hotel forced to close due to outbreak
By Talker News Feb 13, 2026
The owner of a five-star hotel for chickens says she fears for the future of her business after three months of a bird flu "flockdown."
Katriona Shovlin, 33, who runs the luxury bird boarding business Hen Weekend in Upchurch, Kent,
had to shut down in October after news of a bird flu outbreak nearby.LINK:https://www.wataugademocrat.com/lifestyles/health/bird-flu-flockdown-5-star-chicken-hotel-forced-to-close-due-to-outbreak/article_4f7ea399-3c4d-58ab-bca2-eee55aafcca9.htmlCOMMENT: I was just looking at avian flu outbreaks randomly and lo and behold I found this article and its in the same county I live in! This hits close to home!.. it says
"she got a shocking call from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announcing a lockdown as there was a confirmed bird flu case nearby." I have been watching the news vigilantly for this stuff because I have irresponsible neighbors who have trouble keeping their roosters and chickens from straying.
I haven't seen any public reports of avian flu in October being reported in Watauga county. I'm looking that up right now and so
it appears Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs didn't report this publicly to any newspapers from what I am seeing.Of course I mask but that won't necessarily protect the feral cats I take care of. Sooner or later again avian flu is going to hit everybody's neighborhoods no doubt.
It reads Kat said: “I was worried because I was getting text updates and the cases seemed to keep getting closer to home.
There was a huge outbreak only a mile away." So
that means there is avian flu in my county now!. Ive got to be extra careful as I always am when I take my indoor dog out to go the bathroom. Ive got to make sure my little dog doesn't graze upon or get hold of any bird, poultry, or cat scat when I briefly walk him in our backyard on his leash.
I swear I'm looking up avian flu in Watauga County NC and I can't find a thing on it!? I gotta dig deep and contact that girl named Kat to find out what her sources are!? Where's the huge outbreak of avian flu in Watauga County occurring that Kat is referring to?
Wait a minute this is a story from Upchurch Kent which is in England.. What's a story in England doing in a local North Carolina newspaper!? Well, Its a small world after all.. There's probably is avian flu in my county anyway.. I'm prepared Besides what can they do about it!? My county and nobody is prepared for bird flu anyway... As always my mask is already on ... There's probably a North Carolina Watauga County story in an Upchurch Kent England newspaper right now for all I know! It's best to simply live as if it is already happening. I guess that was just a local newspaper article to warn me that Avian flu is going to hit my county too and that it may already be happening! I guess the lesson here is be prepared for it to hit your county.
I live as if its happening because its gonna happen sooner or later, Besides the migrating birds have no boundaries.
Wear a Mask,
The Masked Man