Yoakum County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Yoakum County is on the South Plains along the New Mexico border, where cattle grazing shares the landscape with irrigated and dry cropland, hay production, and orchard or vineyard operations. Yoakum CAD’s policy is particularly useful because it assigns separate animal-unit stocking rates to four native-pasture and four improved-pasture subclasses instead of using one countywide rate.
Grazing Intensity Standards
| Pasture Type | Acres per Animal Unit | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Native Pasture, subclass 1 | 50 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Native Pasture, subclass 2 | 62.5 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Native Pasture, subclass 3 | 75 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Native Pasture, subclass 4 | 87.5 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Improved Pastureland, subclass 1 | 25 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Improved Pastureland, subclass 2 | 31.25 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Improved Pastureland, subclass 3 | 37.5 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Improved Pastureland, subclass 4 | 43.75 acres / AU | ✓ 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 and unweaned calf | 1 | County-published |
| mature bull | 1.25 | County-published |
| weaned calf to one year | 0.6 | County-published |
| steer one year old | 0.7 | County-published |
| steer two year old | 0.9 | County-published |
| horse | 1.25 | County-published |
| miniature horse | 0.5 | County-published |
| mule | 1.25 | County-published |
| donkey | 0.75 | County-published |
| five ewes with or without lambs | 1 | County-published |
| four rams | 1 | County-published |
| eight lambs weaned to one year | 1 | County-published |
| six nanny goats or does with kids | 1 | County-published |
| five buck goats | 1 | County-published |
| ten kid goats weaned to one year | 1 | County-published |
| six mature mutton goats | 1 | County-published |
| three llamas | 1 | County-published |
| seven white tailed deer | 1 | County-published |
| five axis aoudad fallow or mouflon | 1 | County-published |
| nine blackbuck antelope | 1 | County-published |
| seven sika deer | 1 | County-published |
| two point five red deer elk | 1 | County-published |
| eland | 1 | County-published |
| three emus | 1 | County-published |
| two ostriches | 1 | County-published |
Wildlife Management Option
Yoakum 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.
Land must currently be under agricultural-use valuation before wildlife management begins. Yoakum CAD adopted the 98% wildlife-use requirement for a reduced tract in Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Region 2; the smallest acreage qualifying under that test is 50 acres. A wildlife management plan (state form PWD 885-W7000) must be submitted with the 1-d-1 application, and each owner must apply at least three of seven activities.
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
- Wildlife management plan (state form PWD 885-W7000), if applying for wildlife management
- Sworn statements from lessors of subject property, owners of surrounding properties, or other person’s knowledge of ag use; invoices for feed, veterinarian services, seed, fertilizer, etc.; receipts for sale of livestock, hay or farm products; income tax return showing farm income – Schedule F; or current active lease, if requested by the chief appraiser
Discretionary Caveats
"Beekeeping intensity standards not found in published document — confirm with CAD."
"The degree of intensity standards are guidelines to serve as a tool to assist the Appraisal District in determining general qualifications for qualifying land for agricultural valuation. 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."
"An appraisal district may require, for each tract of land qualified for agricultural appraisal based on wildlife management use, that an annual report be filed showing how the wildlife management plan was implemented in any given year."
"Properties with a result of less than two (2) animal units will be required to maintain a minimum of 2 animal unit."
Frequently Asked Questions — Yoakum County
- Yoakum CAD’s native-pasture subclass-1 rate is 50 acres per animal-unit year. 125 acres ÷ 50 Ac/AUY = 2.5 animal units, which is above the district’s two-animal-unit minimum.
- The improved-pasture subclass-1 rate is 25 acres per animal-unit year. 125 acres ÷ 25 Ac/AUY = 5 animal units.
- Yoakum CAD adopted a 98% wildlife-use requirement for reduced tracts. For 50 acres, (50 − 1) ÷ 50 = 0.98, and the owner must already have agricultural valuation, submit form PWD 885-W7000, and perform at least 3 of the 7 wildlife-management activities.
Yoakum County Appraisal District
- Phone
- 806-456-7101
- ycad@yoakumcad.org
- Address
- P.O. Box 748, Plains, TX 79355-0748
- Website
- https://www.yoakumcad.org
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