DeWitt County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
DeWitt County sits in South Central Texas, roughly midway between San Antonio and Victoria, in a farming and ranching area centered on Cuero. DeWitt CAD's guidelines are particularly useful for smaller operations because they give a five-acre threshold for hay and cropland, a defined beekeeping colony schedule, and livestock animal-unit conversions while reserving some small tracts for onsite inspection.
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 values are published by the county.
| Animal | Animal Units | Source |
|---|---|---|
| weaned calf or yearling | 0.6 | County-published |
| steer or heifer 1 to 2 years | 1 | County-published |
| mature cow with or without unweaned calf | 1 | County-published |
| bull 2 years or over | 1.3 | County-published |
| five weaned lambs or yearlings | 0.6 | County-published |
| five muttons or ewes 1 to 2 years | 1 | County-published |
| five mature ewes with or without unweaned lamb | 1 | County-published |
| five rams | 1.3 | County-published |
| six weaned kids to yearlings | 0.6 | County-published |
| six muttons or does 1 to 2 years | 1 | County-published |
| six does with or without unweaned kids | 1 | County-published |
| six bucks or muttons over 2 years | 1.3 | County-published |
| horse yearling | 0.78 | County-published |
| horse over 2 years | 1 | County-published |
| horse over 3 years | 1.25 | County-published |
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
Discretionary Caveats
"Grazing intensity standards not found in published document — confirm with CAD."
"Important – Two animal units or less than 10 acres in agricultural use requires onsite inspection by the Appraisal District staff."
"Not less than 5 acres in agriculture use – may require an on-site inspection by Appraisal District staff."
Frequently Asked Questions — DeWitt County
- DeWitt CAD's schedule lists 9 hives at 12.50 acres. That is the 6-hive minimum at 5 acres plus one colony for each of the three additional 2.5-acre increments.
- No under the published hay guideline: it states that hay operations must have not less than 5 acres in agricultural use. The same 5-acre minimum is published for cropland.
- DeWitt CAD assigns 5 weaned lambs or yearlings to 0.6 animal unit. Ten lambs are two groups of five, so 2 × 0.6 = 1.2 animal units; tracts with two animal units or less require onsite inspection under the guideline.
- The exotic-animal guideline requires 6 adult deer and not less than 5 acres. A six-adult-deer operation therefore meets the published head-count and acreage threshold, subject to the district's other qualification requirements.
DeWitt County Appraisal District
- Phone
- 361-275-5753
- Address
- 103 E. Bailey St. Cuero, TX 77954-2400
- Website
- https://www.dewittcad.org
Nearby Counties
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