How many hives are required on 12.5 acres in Montague County?

Montague CAD starts at 6 hives on the first 5 acres and adds 1 hive per additional 2.5 acres. A 12.5-acre tract has 7.5 additional acres, so 7.5 ÷ 2.5 = 3 additional hives and 6 + 3 = 9 hives.

What is the minimum apiary requirement at 20 acres in Montague County?

At the 20-acre maximum, the tract has 15 acres beyond the initial 5. Fifteen ÷ 2.5 = 6 additional hives; added to the 6-hive base, that is 12 hives.

How many goats or sheep does Montague CAD's questionnaire indicate for a 10-acre operation?

The questionnaire states a minimum of 3 to 4 goats or sheep per acre with a 10-acre minimum. On 10 acres, that works out to 10 × 3 = 30 through 10 × 4 = 40 goats or sheep.

Can a 14-acre hay tract stand on its own under Montague CAD's application questions?

The application specifically asks whether hay land below 15 acres is used with an adjoining larger operation. Because 14 acres is 1 acre below that threshold, the owner should document the adjoining operation rather than assume the tract qualifies independently.

Montague County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)

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

Montague County sits along the Red River north of the Dallas–Fort Worth area, in the Cross Timbers where livestock grazing, hay, row crops, and small-acreage apiaries are all addressed by the appraisal district. Montague CAD’s materials are especially useful for apiaries because they set a six-hive starting point and a clear additional-hive formula, while separately flagging acreage thresholds for hay, row-crop, and goat or sheep operations.

Min. Acreage

5 ac

History Requirement

The property subject to open space valuation must show a history of five years out of the last seven years of agricultural use, if not inside an incorporated city or town. If the property falls into an incorporated city or town it must show a five-year history of continuous agricultural use out of the past five years in order to qualify for special valuation.

Application Window

January 1 – April 30

CAD Phone

940-894-6011

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

Montague County allows wildlife management as a qualifying use. Landowners must implement at least 0 of the seven recognized wildlife management practices defined by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Wildlife management is listed as an agricultural use, and the application directs: "Wildlife Mgt. Request Separate Application." Minimum acreage, practice count, plan, and annual-report requirements are not stated in the published document — confirm with CAD.