GREELEY – — A California company, enticed by the region’s growing dairy industry, is expanding in Weld County.
Quanah Cattle Co., LLC, received unanimous approval from the Weld County Board of Commissioners this month to develop a new Holstein calf-raising facility.
The operation, going up on a former Butterball turkey farm southeast of Kersey, will purchase Holstein calves from local dairies — beefing up the steers to about 300 pounds to sell to feed yards, and selling the heifers, when at the right age, back to the local dairies, explained Robert Hodgen, manager of the business.
Hodgen said he expects the facility — with the permitting process now out of the way — to be fully up and running in about 12 months.
Currently there are no other businesses in Colorado that perform such Holstein-raising operations, he added.
The facility is permitted to have up to 15,000 head, although Hodgen said he expects the actual number of calves to be more in the range of 8,000 to 10,000.
About 25-30 workers will be needed to man the calf-raising operation.
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