Throckmorton County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Throckmorton County sits in the Rolling Plains west of Fort Worth, where cattle ranching, dryland farming, and livestock breeding are the principal agricultural activities. Throckmorton CAD's updated manual is especially useful for small tracts because it sets both a five-acre minimum threshold and a larger-tract stocking minimum, while also providing a precise colony formula for 5–20-acre apiaries.
Grazing Intensity Standards
| Pasture Type | Acres per Animal Unit | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| tracts 25 acres and more | 25 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 |
| mature bull | 1.25 | County-published |
| weaned calf to 1 year | 0.6 | County-published |
| steer 1 year old | 0.7 | County-published |
| horse | 1.25 | County-published |
| miniature horse | 0.5 | County-published |
| donkey or mule | 1.25 | County-published |
| miniature donkey or burro | 0.75 | County-published |
| ewe with or without lamb | 0.2 | County-published |
| ram or buck sheep | 0.25 | County-published |
| lamb weaned to 1 year | 0.125 | County-published |
| nanny goat or doe | 0.1666666667 | County-published |
| billy goat or buck | 0.2 | County-published |
| kid goat weaned to 1 year | 0.1 | County-published |
| mature mutton goat | 0.1666666667 | County-published |
| elk | 0.6 | County-published |
| axis aoudad fallow or mouflon | 0.2 | County-published |
| sika deer | 0.1428571429 | County-published |
| red deer | 0.4 | County-published |
| eland | 1 | County-published |
| emu | 0.3333333333 | County-published |
| ostrich | 0.5 | County-published |
| white tailed deer | 0.1428571429 | County-published |
| blackbuck antelope | 0.1 | County-published |
| llama | 0.3333333333 | County-published |
Wildlife Management Option
Throckmorton 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 appraised as 1-d-1 agricultural land in the preceding tax year, and the owner must submit a TPWD wildlife management plan specifying at least 3 of 7 management activities. Land previously part of a larger 1-d-1 tract does not qualify if it is under 16.25 acres. The Chief Appraiser requires annual or periodic implementation reports at least once every three years.
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
- Copy of the lease agreement, for land under lease
- Letter from the lessee stating the type of Ag use, the degree of intensity (number of livestock or acres planted) and the duration of the lease, for an oral lease agreement
- Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) wildlife management plan, if changing to wildlife management use
- TPWD form PWD-888 annual report, when requested for wildlife management
Discretionary Caveats
"Exceptions to this guide will be handled on a case-by-case basis."
"The Chief Appraiser may choose to request periodic reapplications for small tracts to assure that the degree of intensity continues to be met."
"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."
"Recognizing that a full animal unit on a five acre tract may overload the productive capacity of the land, it may be acceptable to use the land for only a portion of the year, as when raising feeder calves for sale."
Frequently Asked Questions — Throckmorton County
- For tracts of 25 acres or more, Throckmorton CAD says stocking should be not less than 1 animal unit per 25 acres. A 50-acre tract therefore needs at least 2 animal units (50 ÷ 25 = 2).
- The manual starts with 6 colonies on the first 5 acres and adds 1 colony for every additional 2 acres. Ten additional acres add 5 colonies, so 15 acres require 11 colonies (6 + 5 = 11).
- Throckmorton CAD states that a qualifying crop-land tract must include at least 5 acres. The manual says cropland should also typically produce at least one harvest per typical year.
- No. Although previously qualified 1-d-1 land may otherwise qualify regardless of size, Throckmorton CAD says a tract that was part of a larger 1-d-1 tract in the prior year does not qualify below 16.25 acres. A 15-acre split tract is 1.25 acres short.
Throckmorton Central Appraisal District
- Phone
- 940-213-1114
- Address
- P.O. Box 788, Throckmorton, TX 76483-0788
- Website
- https://throckmortoncad.org
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