Shackelford County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Shackelford County sits in the semi-arid Rolling Plains west of the Dallas–Fort Worth area, around Albany and the Clear Fork of the Brazos, where cattle ranching, native pasture, dryland crops, and hay are central land uses. Shackelford CAD's guide is particularly useful because it separates native and improved pasture into three agricultural subclasses, while also setting a 20-acre general threshold and a defined apiary schedule for smaller qualifying tracts.
Grazing Intensity Standards
| Pasture Type | Acres per Animal Unit | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| ANP subclass 1 | 25 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| AIC subclass 1 | 10 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| ANP subclass 2 | 30 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| AIC subclass 2 | 15 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| ANP subclass 3 | 35 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| AIC subclass 3 | 20 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
Beekeeping Intensity Standards
| Acreage Range | Base Hives | Extra Hives/Acre (above base) | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–20 acres | 6 | 0.5 | ✓ 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 or cow with calf | 1 | County-published |
| yearlings up to 2 years | 1.4285714286 | County-published |
| horse | 1 | County-published |
| miniature horse | 0.5 | County-published |
| donkey or mule | 1 | County-published |
| ewes | 0.2 | County-published |
| lambs | 0.125 | County-published |
| rams or buck sheep | 0.25 | County-published |
| nanny goats or does | 0.1666666667 | County-published |
| billy goats or bucks | 0.2 | County-published |
| kid goats | 0.1 | County-published |
| mutton goats | 0.1666666667 | County-published |
| antelope blackbuck nilgai red water buck | 0.1111111111 | County-published |
| antelope eland gemsbok water buck wildebeest | 0.25 | County-published |
| american bison | 1 | County-published |
| deer axis fallow red sika white tail texas dall | 0.1 | County-published |
| deer red pere david barasingha | 0.25 | County-published |
| elk | 0.5 | County-published |
| emus | 0.25 | County-published |
| ibex goats | 0.2 | County-published |
| ostrich | 0.25 | County-published |
| sheep barbado aoudad jacob 4 horn mouflon | 0.2 | County-published |
| water buffalo | 1 | County-published |
| watusi | 1 | County-published |
Wildlife Management Option
Shackelford 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.
Wildlife management operations are listed as a typical agricultural operation. Shackelford CAD hosts a Wildlife Management Annual Report stating, “A minimum of three practices is required.” Land generally must have qualified for and been appraised as agricultural land or timberland during the year before conversion to wildlife management.
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
- IRS forms, sales receipts, expense receipts and/or sworn affidavits from persons (lessee/lessor) having knowledge of the subject property, when history is in doubt
- Copy of the lease agreement, if possible, for land under lease; for an oral lease agreement, a letter from the lessee stating the type of Ag use, the name of the lessor, and the duration of the lease if known
- Wildlife Management Plan, if applying for wildlife management
- Wildlife Management Annual Report, if applying for wildlife management
Discretionary Caveats
"The Chief Appraiser may choose to request periodic reapplications for small tracts to assure that the degree of intensity continues to be met."
"Each application should be considered on its own merit, as there may be other circumstances in an operation which would allow a tract of land to qualify for an open space use appraisal."
"Other agricultural operations not covered by these guidelines will be handled on a case-by-case basis until such operations become typical of the area."
"Most minimum degree of intensity for Shackelford CAD will be TWENTY (20) acres of crop land or at least ONE animal unit kept on a minimum of twenty-eight acres."
"Stocking minimums for larger acreage tracts (20 acres and more) should be not less than one animal unit per 28 acres."
Frequently Asked Questions — Shackelford County
- ANP subclass 2 has a published rate of 30 acres per animal-unit year. Dividing 140 acres by 30 yields 4.67 animal units (140 ÷ 30 = 4.67).
- AIC subclass 1 is rated at 10 acres per animal-unit year. One hundred acres therefore supports 10 animal units (100 ÷ 10 = 10).
- Shackelford CAD starts with 6 colonies on the first 5 acres and requires one additional colony per 2 additional acres. The extra 10 acres require 5 more colonies, so 15 acres require 11 colonies (6 + 5 = 11).
- The guide says a qualifying crop-land tract includes a minimum of 20 acres. It separately lists 5-acre thresholds for pecan orchards, fruit-tree orchards, tree farms, and table- or wine-grape vineyards.
Shackelford County Appraisal District
- Phone
- 325-762-2207
- chief@shackelfordcad.com
- Address
- P.O. Box 2247, Albany, TX 76430-8011
- Website
- https://shackelfordcad.com
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