How many animal units can 30 acres of good native pasture support in Fayette County?

Fayette CAD’s good-native-pasture standard is 1 animal unit per 10 acres. Therefore, 30 acres supports 3 animal units (30 ÷ 10 = 3), which meets the stated three-animal-unit minimum for a small tract.

How many honeybee hives are needed on 15 acres in Fayette County?

The standard starts with 6 hives on 5 acres and adds 1 hive for every additional 2.5 acres. A 15-acre tract has 10 additional acres, so it needs 10 hives: 6 + (10 ÷ 2.5) = 10.

Can a new 12-acre Fayette County tract qualify for wildlife management?

A standard new wildlife-management tract must have at least 16.670 acres, so 12 acres is too small. It could meet the 11-acre threshold only if it is a wildlife property association or is designated as habitat for candidate, threatened, or endangered species; it must also already qualify under 1-d or 1-d-1 and use at least 3 wildlife practices.

Fayette County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)

Last verified 2026-07-13 · Source: Fayette County Appraisal District official guidelines

Fayette County lies between Austin and Houston in the rolling Blackland Prairie and Post Oak countryside around La Grange, where cattle grazing, hay production, and crop fields remain central rural land uses. Fayette CAD gives landowners unusually concrete native-pasture stocking rates, a three-animal-unit livestock threshold, and separate honeybee and solitary-bee intensity formulas.

Min. Acreage

5 ac

History Requirement

The land must be currently devoted principally to agricultural use and the principal use of the land for five (5) of the last seven (7) years must have been agricultural.

Application Window

January 1 – April 30

CAD Phone

979-968-8383

Grazing Intensity Standards

Pasture Type	Acres per Animal Unit	Confidence
Good Pasture	10 acres / AU	✓ Verified
Average Pasture	15 acres / AU	✓ Verified
Poor Pasture	20 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 values are published by the county.

Animal	Animal Units	Source
cow	1	County-published
cow calf	1	County-published
500 pound calves	0.5	County-published
bull	1.5	County-published
horse	1	County-published
colt	0.5	County-published
miniature horse	0.5	County-published
miniature donkey	0.5	County-published
goat or sheep	0.1666666667	County-published

Wildlife Management Option

Fayette 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. An annual wildlife management plan report is required.

The property must be actively qualified under 1-d or 1-d-1 before changing to Wildlife Management. New wildlife-management tracts have a 16.670-acre minimum; wildlife property associations and habitat for candidate, threatened, or endangered species have an 11.000-acre minimum. A Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife Wildlife Management Plan must accompany each application, and a Wildlife Management Annual Report must be filed every third year thereafter.

Required Documents

Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
Wildlife Management Plan, promulgated by the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, if applying for wildlife management

Discretionary Caveats

⚠ Not a fixed rule — confirm with the CAD.

"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."

⚠ Not a fixed rule — confirm with the CAD.

"Operator may be asked to provide documentation of management practices, expenses and sales, if necessary. For example – feed/fertilizer invoices, equipment invoices, sales receipts, labor expenses, IRS Schedule F."

⚠ Not a fixed rule — confirm with the CAD.

"Operator may be asked to show evidence that he is not engaged in a hobby according to the guidelines set out in Reference Section 183 of the I.R.S. Regulations."

Frequently Asked Questions — Fayette County

: Fayette CAD’s good-native-pasture standard is 1 animal unit per 10 acres. Therefore, 30 acres supports 3 animal units (30 ÷ 10 = 3), which meets the stated three-animal-unit minimum for a small tract.
: The standard starts with 6 hives on 5 acres and adds 1 hive for every additional 2.5 acres. A 15-acre tract has 10 additional acres, so it needs 10 hives: 6 + (10 ÷ 2.5) = 10.
: A standard new wildlife-management tract must have at least 16.670 acres, so 12 acres is too small. It could meet the 11-acre threshold only if it is a wildlife property association or is designated as habitat for candidate, threatened, or endangered species; it must also already qualify under 1-d or 1-d-1 and use at least 3 wildlife practices.

Fayette County Appraisal District

Phone: 979-968-8383
Email: inquiries@fayettecad.org
Address: P.O. Box 836, La Grange, TX 78945-0836
Website: https://www.fayettecad.org

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LandTally is an informational and record-keeping tool. It does not provide tax, legal, or appraisal advice, and is not affiliated with any county appraisal district. Requirements are set by your county and may change — always confirm details with your county appraisal district before acting.

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