History of Hy-Fly

The business was started in 1963 by Raymond's father Wilfred, who at that time had 60,000 laying hens in cages plus rearing their own replacements.  He also bred pigs and fattened cattle.

It was by a chance remark when Wilfred was shooting as a guest of Edward Ashcroft (Ashko Feed Merchants) at Fochabers in Scotland.  After a particularly good day the keeper and boss Stuart Payton enquired if they had enjoyed themselves and Wilf's (as he was fondly known) reply was that it could have been better if you had released a few more birds.  To which came the reply, "you breed them and I’ll release them".  So, he did!

The following summer Ray rescued two Mallard nests whilst hay timing and hatched them under broodies, Wilf purchased 36 Hens Pheasants and six cocks at the game fair. This was the start of Hy-Fly Game Hatcheries

The early years saw Hamer P21's and Glevum paraffin still air hatchers in use, to be followed by TB7's and Bristol Hatchers.  Then in 1983 after an agricultural training board course, Raymond and Edith decided they would invest in a new modern Game Hatchery and phase out the rest, which by then included hatching up to 4000 domestic geese per week.

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Since 1986 to date production has increased yearly and Hy-Fly now has a setting capacity of:
    87000 partridge eggs per week
    57000 mallard eggs per week
    223000 pheasant eggs per week
Giving a total of approximately 1.5 million when full.

The majority of Red Leg Partridge eggs are now home produced. The rest are purchased from a proven reliable source. They hatch, rear and fly well.

Our mallard are renowned for their flying ability. We introduce a proportion of caught up wild drakes into the breeding flock on an annual basis to maintain the wild instinct. Several years ago we also sourced a new strain from Denmark, which are truly wild; With careful breeding we have now managed to introduce this new blood it improve our flock further. If you do have a pond where the mallard notoriously stick, then you could possibly try some of our pure Danish!

Pheasants, we can supply most breeds. Ring Necks, American, Melanistic and Common, but specialise in 1st and 2nd Cross Japanese Green. We are the only Game Farm supplying Japanese crosses commercially.

We are basically a Game Hatchery and sell very few eggs concentrating mostly on Day-Olds although we do rear to order approx 6,000 Duck Growers, 6,000 Red Leg Poults and 15,000 Pheasant Poults per week.