Jim and Diana Foegelle are the new owners of Bluebonnet Hills Alpacas at Calico Creek Ranch in Cost, Texas. Bluebonnet Hills Alpaca Ranch was originally located just minutes from northwest Houston in Waller County and was owned by Laurence and Donna Binder.
After developing an interest in llamas, the Binders discovered alpacas at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1997. The months following the exciting discovery were filled with researching and educating themselves about these interesting creatures. Frequent visits to ranches and attending the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association National Conference helped them realize that ranching alpacas was something they wanted to pursue. The decision was based on several factors, three of which include “the alpaca lifestyle,” the potential for financial rewards, and the ease in caring for the animals. It was also something that they could do as a family. Living in the city with a desire to move to the country made the alpaca rancher lifestyle very appealing.
With the goal of developing a colorful herd, Bluebonnet Hills’ first five animals were purchased in September 1997. The top breeding objective was genetic gain in conformation and fiber. Consequently, they bred their females to nationally known, award-winning herd sires from Ohio, Colorado, Oregon, Louisiana, and Texas. Other goals of Bluebonnet Hills Alpaca Ranch have been to run the business based on integrity, to provide potential new breeders the opportunity to learn about and spend time with alpacas, and to use valuable years of experience to give any client all of the pre and post-purchase support necessary.
Now, almost 25 years later they have helped many of the Texas alpaca ranchers establish their ranch and begin their own alpaca ranching business. The business has been built on the integrity that originally started out as a goal of theirs. As retired educators, they believe they had a unique way of assisting new breeders. Your success is our success was a motto, and they are proud of the many successful ranchers they have helped get started. One of those ranches is the new owner! We are thrilled that Bluebonnet Hills Alpacas at Calico Creek ranch will continue our legacy in the alpaca industry.
We invite new and established breeders to contact Jim and Diana for an appointment to visit and see their colorful, huggable herd in Cost, Texas.
Comments From Fiber Clients:
- Gorgeous fiber and super quick shipping!
- WOW! What a dream, exactly what I was hoping for!
- It is SOOOO awesome I had to purchase another skein!
- Super fast service and incredible fiber!
- Beautiful SOFT yummy fleece!
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- Incredibly soft and very rich in color. Can’t wait to knit with it.
- This yarn is as soft as it is beautiful
- Beautiful fiber….the only problem is that there is not a 100 pounds more of it!!
- Beautiful and really wonderful people!
One of the most important services a new alpaca breeder can expect is a mentor when beginning the alpaca business. Our years of experience raising alpacas in Texas at Bluebonnet Hills Alpaca Ranch offer our clients that valuable service. As retired educators, we know the importance of support when learning anything new. Our clients trust us and count on us to provide them with the information necessary to begin a successful alpaca ranching business.
Here is what some of our clients have said:
We visited Bluebonnet Hills Alpaca Ranch in the summer of 2019. It was always our dream to own some alpacas but we really didn’t know much about it. Laurence and Donna really explained the care of alpacas and what it took to be great alpaca owners. It was then that we decided we wanted to have some. Shortly thereafter, we bought a small ranch and purchased 4 males from them. They delivered our “boys” to us but it didn’t stop with that. They have such an incredibly vast knowledge of alpacas. We remember distinctly them telling us that not only do we purchase alpacas from them but they will mentor us in the care and raising of them. They are true to their word. Laurence is only a phone call away. His advice is always spot on. Our boys are such a joy in our lives! If you are interested in raising alpacas, Bluebonnet Hills is the place to go! We just can’t say enough about the Binders and Bluebonnet Hills Alpaca Ranch.
I purchased by first 3 girls from Bluebonnet Hills in 2014. I since have purchased 3 more girls in 2016. Laurence and Donna Binder always go above and beyond to answer any of my questions or concerns that I have had in raising, worming, breeding them and cria care. All of my girls have been healthy and well taken care of by Laurence and Donna. One of my Girls had a cria early, and quite small and Laurence made sure he was taken care of with a few supplemental bottles and additional care and now he is running all over the place and healthy as can be. I would highly recommend giving them a call if you are planning on purchasing any alpacas. They have an outstanding variety to select from and they don’t just bring them to you and that’s it, they are always there for any support you may need in the future. I am so thankful for all of their continued support!
We boarded our alpacas at Laurence and Donna Binder’s alpaca facility, Bluebonnet Hills Alpaca Ranch from 2002 until 2017. They provide advice on alpaca care, breeding, marketing and fiber/yarn production. We have learned a great amount of information from their experience which they have provided without hesitation. They were always available to answer whatever questions we may have and kept in constant communication to inform us on anything from the health of our herd to breeding to progress on any new births.
We saw Coal Miner on Bluebonnet Hills web page and fell in love, but wanted to see him in person before committing to purchase him. We traveled to their ranch and were greeted warmly and openly. Laurence and Donna made us feel comfortable and welcomed immediately. Laurence gave us a tour and introduced us to his herd and singled out our “love at first sight, Coal Miner”. He is a gem! Although he was not quite a year old, we could see his potential, with good fleece and conformation, not to mention he was gentle, halter trained and in excellent health. He won first place in his category at his first show, so we’re real proud of him and applaud the work Laurence and Donna put into halter training and caring for him and the rest of their herd. We would highly recommend anyone who is looking for quality alpacas to contact Laurence and Donna at Bluebonnet Hills.
We purchased our first two alpacas from Blubonnet Hills in 2001. Since then we have purchased several more. Laurence and Donna Binder consistantly sell high quality, healthy animals. They provide any needed support after the sale. They maintain a vast network of camelid related services (shearing, vets, etc.) to help you grow a successful business over the years. They are never more than an email or phone call away.
Our experience with Bluebonnet Hills Ranch has been top notch, professional, and personal. From the initial contact to the after sales support, the Binders have been there. We made a phone call during the birth of our first cria on the ranch. Donna stayed on the phone and stepped us through the entire process. The cria was premature and required some additional care. The Binders not only helped us through the initial care, but continued to provide follow-up phone calls and emails to make sure the cria was doing well. We have been thrilled with the “after sale” support we have received from the Binders and highly recommend Bluebonnet Hills to alpaca enthusiasts!
When we first became interested in alpacas, the industry seemed overwhelming. Farms, alpacas and sales seemed to bombard us. In spite of our limited resources and knowledge, however, we decided to take the plunge and purchase some companion males to train as public relations/performance animals.
We visited several farms, but no one seemed to have what we wanted. Disheartened, we made our last stop of the day: Bluebonnet Hills Alpaca Ranch.
There, we found exactly what we wanted: three sweet companion males and the experienced support that we needed. We were able to compete less than a year later at the Houston Livestock Show and won 3 grand champions and one 1 reserve grand in public relations and obstacles.
The Binder’s support has helped us kick-start our alpaca careers, and we hope that we will be able to work with them for many years to come.