Cooke County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Cooke County lies on the Red River along the Oklahoma border, north of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, with cattle ranching, hay and grain production, horse breeding, and smaller apiaries among its recognized agricultural uses. Cooke CAD’s guidelines are particularly useful because they pair a 5-to-10-acre grazing range with operation-size thresholds and give apiaries a specific 6-to-12-colony formula for 5-to-20-acre tracts.
Grazing Intensity Standards
| Pasture Type | Acres per Animal Unit | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| improved or native pasture | 5 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
Beekeeping Intensity Standards
| Acreage Range | Base Hives | Extra Hives/Acre (above base) | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–20 acres | 6 | 0.4 | ✓ 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
"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."
"Other agricultural endeavors minimum standards will be analyzed on a case-by-case basis, specifically to determine if the endeavor is economically feasible."
"Cattle: have a minimum of 10 animal units OR 30 acres or greater."
"Sheep or Goats: have a minimum of 15 animal units on 5 acres concurrent with a maximum stocking rate of 3 animal units per acre."
"Horses have a minimum of 5 animals or 30 acres or greater concurrent with a stocking rate of 5 to 10 acres per animal unit."
"Minimum acreage not stated in published document — confirm with CAD."
Frequently Asked Questions — Cooke County
- For ranches of 30 acres or more, Cooke CAD publishes a stocking range of 5–10 acres per animal unit. Three animal units therefore correspond to 3 × 5 through 3 × 10 acres, or 15–30 acres. The same guideline separately says cattle operations need 10 animal units or 30 acres or greater.
- Cooke CAD starts with 6 colonies on the first 5 acres and adds 1 colony for every additional 2.5 acres. A 15-acre tract has 10 additional acres, so 10 ÷ 2.5 = 4 additional colonies, for 10 colonies total.
- No. Cooke CAD’s guideline says wheat, oats, grain sorghum, or hay must have at least 15 acres to qualify, so 10 acres is 5 acres short of that stated threshold.
Cooke Appraisal District
- Phone
- 940-665-7651
- cookecad@cookecad.org
- Address
- 201 N. Dixon St. Gainesville, TX 76240-3974
- Website
- https://www.cookecad.org
Nearby Counties
Learn the Basics
Get a free reminder before Cooke County's next ag exemption deadline
Join the waitlist — we'll email you before the dates that matter, and you'll get first access to the app when it's ready.
Join the waitlistSpotted an error or outdated information? Let us know →