Mills County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Mills County sits in Central Texas on the western edge of the Hill Country, northwest of Austin, where cattle, goats, sheep, hay fields, and small crop operations are common. Mills CAD makes its local expectations unusually concrete: its guidelines pair a 15-acre cow-calf stocking rate with production thresholds for hay, crops, orchards, and a detailed active-hive table for qualifying apiaries.
Grazing Intensity Standards
| Pasture Type | Acres per Animal Unit | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| qualified land | 15 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
Beekeeping Intensity Standards
| Acreage Range | Base Hives | Extra Hives/Acre (above base) | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–20 acres | 6 | 0.6666666667 | ✓ 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 |
| horse | 1.27 | County-published |
| sheep | 0.18 | County-published |
| spanish goat | 0.16 | County-published |
| boer x spanish goat | 0.19 | County-published |
| angora goat | 0.12 | County-published |
| white tailed deer | 0.13 | County-published |
| mule deer | 0.18 | County-published |
| pronghorn antelope | 0.14 | County-published |
| axis deer | 0.2 | County-published |
| sika deer | 0.2 | County-published |
| fallow deer | 0.18 | County-published |
| elk | 0.92 | County-published |
| red deer | 0.47 | County-published |
| barasinga deer | 0.47 | County-published |
| sambar deer | 0.54 | County-published |
| pere davids deer | 0.54 | County-published |
| sable antelope | 0.58 | County-published |
| blackbuck antelope | 0.12 | County-published |
| nilgai antelope | 0.47 | County-published |
| scimitar horned oryx | 0.54 | County-published |
| gemsbok oryx | 0.54 | County-published |
| arabian oryx | 0.2 | County-published |
| addax | 0.34 | County-published |
| ibex x boer goat | 0.19 | County-published |
| impala | 0.18 | County-published |
| common eland | 0.96 | County-published |
| greater kudu | 0.61 | County-published |
| sitatunga | 0.27 | County-published |
| thompsons gazelle | 0.13 | County-published |
| mouflon barbado sheep | 0.16 | County-published |
| aoudad sheep | 0.27 | County-published |
Wildlife Management Option
Mills 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.
Wildlife Management can only be applied to land which qualifies and is already receiving 1-d-1 Open Space Agricultural Valuation. The Texas Property Tax Code, Section 23.51(7) defines wildlife use as actively using land in at least three of the following ways: habitat control, erosion control, predator control, providing supplemental supplies of water, providing supplemental supplies of food, providing shelter, and making census counts to determine population.
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
- Written lease agreement between the owner and the lessee, if the subject tract is leased
- Receipts for feed, fertilizer, proof of harvest sales, profit/loss statements, income tax returns, or other substantial evidence of use
- Beekeeping Questionnaire, photos of the hives, purchase receipts, and a map of the parcel indicating the hive locations, for beekeeping
Discretionary Caveats
"It should be noted 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 as determined by the Chief Appraiser."
"This Degree of Intensity is subject to change from year to year."
"Additionally, the Chief Appraiser may require any person allowed this special valuation to submit a new application to verify the land is currently eligible."
Frequently Asked Questions — Mills County
- Mills CAD's qualified-land standard is 1 animal unit per 15 acres, so 45 ÷ 15 = 3 cow-calf animal units. That also meets the guideline's minimum of three reproducing cows.
- The Mills CAD beekeeping table lists 11 active hives for 12.5 acres. Its table starts at 6 hives on 5 acres and reaches 16 hives at the 20-acre maximum.
- Mills CAD calls for approximately 10 acres, proof of 2 cuttings in years of normal rainfall, and typically 40 square bales or 2 round bales per acre. On 10 acres, that is typically 400 square bales or 20 round bales.
- Yes. The land must already qualify for and receive 1-d-1 open-space agricultural valuation, and the owner must actively use it in at least 3 of the 7 listed wildlife-management practices.
Mills Central Appraisal District
- Phone
- 325-648-2253
- info@millscad.org
- Address
- P.O. Box 565, Goldthwaite, TX 76844-0565
- Website
- https://www.millscad.org
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