How many bee colonies are needed on 12.5 acres in Howard County?

Howard CAD requires 6 colonies on the first 5 acres and one more for every additional 2.5 acres. A 12.5-acre tract has 7.5 additional acres, so it needs 6 + 3 = 9 colonies.

What is the smallest agricultural tract Howard CAD publishes a threshold for?

Howard CAD lists truck farms at a minimum of approximately 2 acres. Its other published activity thresholds are approximately 5 acres for orchards or vineyards, 10 acres for hay or alfalfa, and 20 acres for cattle, horses, goats, sheep, dry crop, and irrigated crop.

Can Howard County land switch directly into wildlife management?

No. It must have qualified as open-space agricultural or timber land in the prior year. The owner must submit TPWD form 885-W7000, carry out at least 3 of 7 practices each year, and file the required annual report.

Howard County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)

Last verified 2026-07-13 · Source: Howard Central Appraisal District official guidelines

Howard County sits in the Southern High Plains around Big Spring, between Midland and the Permian Basin’s eastern ranch country. Howard Central Appraisal District publishes especially useful activity-by-activity thresholds for cattle, goats, sheep, hay, crops, and bees, while leaving livestock carrying capacity as a cattle-head range rather than a fixed animal-unit table.

Min. Acreage

2 ac

History Requirement

Land used primarily for agriculture for five (5) of the previous seven (7) years may qualify for agricultural productivity appraisal.

Application Window

January 1 – April 30

CAD Phone

432-263-8301

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

Wildlife Management Option

Howard 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.

Land must have been qualified and appraised as open-space agriculture land or as timber land in the year prior to conversion to wildlife management use. The owner must submit TPWD form 885-W7000 and perform at least 3 of 7 management practices each year; the Chief Appraiser requires an annual TPWD-form report describing implementation.