Colorado County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Colorado County follows the Colorado River across the Gulf Coast Prairie, roughly midway between Houston and San Antonio, where cattle grazing, rice farming, hay production, and beekeeping are established agricultural uses. Colorado CAD’s 2025 manual is particularly useful for smaller tracts because it publishes a five-to-twenty-acre beekeeping schedule, alongside clear acreage and herd-size thresholds for more conventional operations.
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 values are published by the county.
| Animal | Animal Units | Source |
|---|---|---|
| cow calf | 1 | County-published |
| mature cattle | 1 | County-published |
| feeder stocker calf | 0.5 | County-published |
| miniature horse | 0.5 | County-published |
| shetland horse | 1 | County-published |
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
Discretionary Caveats
"***PLEASE NOTE***These guidelines are used as a general guide for qualifying land. There may be circumstances in your agricultural operation which allow it to qualify based upon its own merit. Exceptions to the general rule will be handled on a case-by-case basis."
"Note: Most properties that are less than five (5) acres and include a residence are considered principal use residential and will not qualify for agricultural value. The chief appraiser may make exemptions for tracts that are used in conjunction with other agricultural land and/or for operations that can prove adequate intensity."
"Grazing intensity standards not found in published document — confirm with CAD."
"The tract must have at least seventy (70) percent use to qualify the entire tract, and the tract must be used for a minimum of six months of the yar for grazing if applicable."
Frequently Asked Questions — Colorado County
- Colorado CAD’s beekeeping table places 11–12 acres in the 8-hive band. A 12-acre qualifying beekeeping tract therefore needs 8 hives or nesting boxes.
- Yes. The manual’s typical-minimum-acreage table lists 10 acres for both Hay Production and Irrigated Crop (Typically Rice), so a 10-acre tract meets each stated acreage threshold.
- Colorado CAD says two calves equal one animal unit and lists a typical minimum feeder/stocker herd of 10 head. Thus, 10 feeder calves equal 5 animal units and meet the published 10-head herd-size threshold.
- The current manual does not publish a fixed acres-per-animal-unit table. It says improved pasture may support as much as one grown head per acre, while native-pasture stocking rates vary greatly with soil and management, so confirm a tract-specific grazing rate with the CAD.
Colorado County Appraisal District
- Phone
- 979-732-8222
- janea@coloradocad.org
- Address
- P.O. Box 10, Columbus, TX 78934-0010
- Website
- https://coloradocad.org
Nearby Counties
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