Deaf Smith County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Deaf Smith County lies on the Texas Panhandle’s High Plains around Hereford, where irrigated and dryland crop production and livestock operations shape the agricultural landscape. Its appraisal district’s published beekeeping guidance is especially useful to small-acreage owners because it identifies the 5-to-20-acre qualifying range while making clear that hive density is adjusted to local forage, weather, and site conditions.
Beekeeping Intensity Standards
| Acreage Range | Base Hives | Extra Hives/Acre (above base) | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–20 acres | 5 | 1 | ⚠ discretionary |
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 |
Wildlife Management Option
Deaf Smith County allows wildlife management as a qualifying use. Landowners must implement at least 3 of the seven recognized wildlife management practices defined by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
The CAD-published Form 50-129 requires an applicant using wildlife management to list at least three practices and, if applicable, attach a wildlife management plan using the appropriate Texas Parks and Wildlife Department form. It asks whether the land was part of a tract qualified for 1-d-1 or timberland appraisal on Jan. 1 of the previous year; the published material does not state an annual-report requirement.
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
- Registration of the apiary with the Texas Apiary Inspection Service (TAIS), for beekeeping history
- Records and receipts establishing the history of beekeeping, for beekeeping history
- Wildlife management plan using the appropriate Texas Parks and Wildlife Department form, if applying for wildlife management
- Written agreement obligating the owners in the association to perform wildlife management practices, if managed through a wildlife management property association
Discretionary Caveats
"Grazing intensity standards not found in published document — confirm with CAD."
"The number of recommended hives per acre depends on the attractiveness of the crop to bees, number of wild bees, number of competing weeds, strength and location of bee hives, weather, and the grower’s experience."
"As a starting point, we will expect one hive per acre, and may move up or down according to the advice of experienced beekeepers and our county Extension agent."
"The published 5-to-20-acre range applies to beekeeping; a general agricultural minimum acreage is not stated in published document — confirm with CAD."
"County-specific animal-unit equivalencies not found in published document — statewide defaults used."
"Wildlife-management acreage and annual-report requirements not found in published document — confirm with CAD."
Frequently Asked Questions — Deaf Smith County
- Deaf Smith CAD’s starting point is one hive per acre, so 12 acres starts at 12 hives. The district expressly says it may move that number up or down based on factors including forage, weather, competing weeds, hive strength, and local beekeeping advice.
- No. The CAD’s beekeeping guidance says the land used must be not less than 5 acres and not more than 20 acres, so a 4-acre tract is 1 acre below the stated minimum.
- The district requires proof of beekeeping history for any 5 of the preceding 7 years. In a seven-year lookback period, that means documenting beekeeping in at least 5 years; up to 2 years may lack that history.
- The CAD-published application requires at least 3 wildlife-management practices. It lists 7 practice types, so the minimum is 3 of those 7, and a wildlife-management plan on the appropriate Texas Parks and Wildlife Department form must be attached when the application calls for one.
Deaf Smith County Appraisal District
- Phone
- 806-364-0625
- dscad@wtrt.net
- Address
- P.O. Box 2298 Hereford, TX 79045-2298
- Website
- https://www.deafsmithcad.org
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