#Texas ag exemption livestock how to
#Texas ag exemption livestock series

You can also deduce that 5 mature goats consume about the same as a 1,000lb mama cow, so 5 goats equal 1 animal unit. For example, a mature goat will consume about 5.2lbs of dry matter per day (1/5 of what a 1,000lb cow eats). We can relate how other grazers compare to an animal unit simply by looking at how much forage they require daily and prescribing them an Animal Unit Equivalent (AUE). It’s important to understand this concept because as we work through calculating the carrying capacity of your property, we will do so by calculating the number of Animal Units it can support over a 1 year period.

#Texas ag exemption livestock series

If you would like specific dry matter demand requirements for cattle across a series weights check out this nifty Dry Matter Demand Chartfor classes of cattle. Think of 26lbs of dry hay vs 26lbs of fresh grass clippings.

A cow of this size consumes 26lbs of dry matter forage per day or 9,490 lbs/year.ĭry weight is calculated by drying grass clippings in an oven until there is no moisture remaining. Since there is such a variability in size for livestock, range managers and cattlemen use a standardized term called an Animal Unit.Īn ANIMAL UNIT represents a 1,000lb cow (with or without a calf under 6 months old). Some cattle breeds are larger than others and require more forage. There is large variability in the size of cattle also. Livestock come in many shapes and sizes and include cattle, sheep, and goats. Overstocking will ultimately reduce your property’s carrying capacity. However, if you overstock, your property will lose vegetation productivity, exhibit soil compaction, soil loss, a loss of wildlife diversity, and a host of other consequences that can take years to recover from. Understanding this number is important because if you understock you will not maximize livestock production. This is defined as the number of animals your property can support year after year without exhibiting damage to the vegetation or related resources. If you have livestock, or plan on running livestock on your property, it’s important that you understand how many head your property can support, known as your property’s Carrying Capacity. How many cows will your land support in Texas? QUICK DEFINITION: Stocking Rate is defined as the amount of land allocated to each animal for the grazable period of the year. While there is something to be said for experience, I have personally seen this advice lead to over grazed pastures which look much more like parking lots than fields. Many new landowners rely on STOCKING RATE advice from neighbors or from the guy leasing their property to run cattle.

This topic seems to be one of the most misunderstood topics from landowners.

#Texas ag exemption livestock how to

In this article I’ll give you a range of stocking rates for several Texas regions AND tell you how to determine how many cattle your land can support, no matter where you are in the U.S.! Cows Per Acre in Texasġ Animal Unit (AU) =1,000lb cow with calfįor more articles about livestock and cattle in Texas, check out our Livestock Section. Stocking Rates in Texas vary from 1 cow per acre on heavily managed pasture in the Eastern portion of the state to 1 cow per 150 acres (4 cows per section) in the Trans Pecos Region of the state.