Archer County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Archer County sits in the Rolling Plains southwest of Wichita Falls, where cattle ranching, field crops, hay, and small apiaries are practical rural land uses. Archer CAD's guide is particularly useful because it sets a minimum herd size alongside a 5–10-acre cattle stocking range, identifies 15-acre farming and 30-acre ranching thresholds, and publishes active-hive tiers for 5–20-acre apiaries.
Grazing Intensity Standards
| Pasture Type | Acres per Animal Unit | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| improved pasture or native pasture | 5 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
Beekeeping Intensity Standards
| Acreage Range | Base Hives | Extra Hives/Acre (above base) | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–20 acres | 6 | 0 | ✓ Verified |
Animal Unit Equivalencies
An animal unit (AU) is a standardized measure used to compare livestock of different sizes. One AU = one 1,000-lb cow. Your total stocking rate is calculated in AUs, then multiplied by the acres-per-AU standard for your pasture type. These are statewide default values — confirm with your CAD.
| Animal | Animal Units | Source |
|---|---|---|
| cow | 1 | Statewide default |
| cow calf | 1 | Statewide default |
| horse | 1 | Statewide default |
| sheep | 0.2 | Statewide default |
| goat | 0.17 | Statewide default |
| deer | 0.2 | Statewide default |
| turkey | 0.018 | Statewide default |
| chicken | 0.01 | Statewide default |
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
Discretionary Caveats
"A countywide minimum acreage is not stated; Archer CAD publishes activity-specific thresholds."
"The published cattle standard is a 5 to 10 acres-per-animal-unit range for improved or native pasture; confirm the applicable rate with CAD."
"County-published animal-unit equivalencies not found in published document — statewide default values shown."
"It should be noted that these guidelines are to be used as a general guide for qualifying agricultural land. Exceptions to the general rule will be handled on a case-by-case basis."
"Orchards, Fish Hatcheries and other agricultural endeavors minimum standards will be analyzed on a case-by-case basis, specifically to determine if the endeavor is economically feasible."
"New applications may be requested by the chief appraiser to up-date the A.C.A.D. records or when the use on the land is in question."
Frequently Asked Questions — Archer County
- Archer CAD states that cattle operations need at least 10 animal units on 30 acres or more, with a published stocking range of 5–10 acres per animal unit. Applying that range to the 10-AU minimum yields 50 acres at 5 acres per AU (10 × 5) to 100 acres at 10 acres per AU (10 × 10), so confirm the applicable pasture rate with the district.
- A 12.5-acre apiary falls in Archer CAD's 10.01–12.50-acre tier and requires 8 active hives. The hives must be located on the property for 7 months of the calendar year and maintained alive.
- Archer CAD lists 15 acres for irrigated or dry cropland growing wheat, oats, grain sorghum, cotton, corn, soybeans, or hay. At the guide's stated yield of 2 bales per acre, a 15-acre tract would yield 30 bales (15 × 2), above its separate 15-bale minimum.
- Yes, the guide states that Texas allows beekeeping on 5 to 20 acres. In Archer CAD's first 5–7.50-acre tier, a five-acre tract needs 6 active hives; the owner must also establish the required agricultural-use history.
Archer County Appraisal District
- Phone
- 940-574-2172
- archcad@brazosnet.com
- Address
- P.O. Box 1141, Archer City, TX 76351-1141
- Website
- https://www.archercad.org
Nearby Counties
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