New Irish hatchery for North Wales

An Irish hatchery business exporting chicks to poultry farmers in the UK is to open a new plant in north Wales with the aim of producing up to 1.5m chicks a week within three years.

Annyalla Chicks of Co Monaghan plans to open the hatchery at the former Delta Foods site on the main industrial estate in Wrexham.

About 20 staff will be employed at the site when it opens at the end of the year, but the company hopes to more than double this number within three years.

Nearly one-third of the chicks produced at the family-owned company’s hatchery are exported to UK broiler producers.

The company is already running at capacity and has been hunting for a suitable site in the UK for 18 months. The 85,000 sq ft former food production unit it has earmarked is located close to many of its customers. It has taken on the unit in Abenbury Way on an existing 12-year lease.

John Mawer, who runs the business with his father and other family members, says the new hatchery will enable the company to meet growing demand.

The hatchery will initially supply farmers with up to 600,000 day-old chicks a week, but Mr Mawer believes this could increase to 1.5m.

He hopes the development will encourage farmers working close to the hatchery to supply fertile eggs to the plant.

At 550ha (1350 acres), Wrexham Industrial Estate is one of the largest industrial sites in Europe, accommodating about 300 businesses including Kellogg’s and JCB.