"I'm not worried about running out of weeds to feed the goats," he said. But he has noticed a visible reduction in troublesome plants.

Out of this concept mutually supporting operations have developed with his father, so the goats graze near his father's cows, but don't directly compete with them for forage. Wagner is able to utilize his father's machinery and land base, but the cows take priority if forage becomes scarce during dry spells.

The goats receive no supplement, but he does give them a mixture of loose salt and kelp. He keeps his inputs low with a goal of year-round grazing in mind. Wagner admits that, considering northern Nebraska's harsh winter conditions, he may never entirely reach his goal.

Nevertheless, grazing is still his foremost focus, and during the toughest Nebraska winters he has been able to feed minimal amounts of baled forages and still keep his herd in good condition.

He has found that his herd does well in the winter on stubble pasture and supplemented baled prairie hay so long as he provides protection from the wind. Through the winter the goats graze on brush and cedar trees and take shelter in some used hog huts set up for them in a paddock near the farm.

Winter is also the time when Wagner is diligent about predator control. He hunts coyotes and foxes on the farm to thin out their populations sufficiently that they won't be tempted to feed on his livestock. He has not yet lost an adult goat to predators, although some young animals have been killed.

For goats to survive in this system, they must become acclimated to some of the weather elements, he said. His goat breeding stock development program depends less on whether the parents are Nubian or Boer breeds and more on their ability to thrive with year-round grazing. "My criteria for selection on does is an animal that can hack living on pasture year-round and drop a good meat goat type of kid," he said.

The idea of multi-species grazing is not something new, but it is rarely carried out in this region with the symbiotic effects it has had on the Wagner farm. "It's all about management," Wagner said. "It just hit me as making sense."

"But they have a sweet tooth for cool season grass," he said. In the fall, when cool season grasses such as brome and orchard grass show fresh regrowth, the goats will select enough of the grass to trip it down. He tries to keep the herd on pasture until the first of November or even December if the weather cooperates.

Wagner sets up 2,000 feet of four-wire poly electric fence for a five-acre goat paddock, using a distance wheel to help gauge the size of the paddock to his available fencing materials. He uses 35-inch plastic step-in posts installed at 30-foot intervals. He pulls a small mower behind his ATV so he can keep the bottom wires hot and as low to the ground as possible without creating an electrical short, as close as two inches off the ground. Metal T-posts serve as corner posts and support posts where the fence bends.

The fence "keeps young animals in and predators out," Wagner said. Moving the herd about every two weeks to fresh forage, following the cows, takes about four hours just to move the wires.

"A straight run for fencing is good," he said. Even over rough terrain and steep slopes he tries to avoid corners and bends as much as possible.

When establishing a new paddock and choosing a new grazing spot, Wagner considers the terrain, ease of installing the fence, and forage availability. He knows the wildlife on the farm and keeps the goat paddocks away from normal predator migration routes such as ridges and low valleys, just to avoid tempting the wild critters.

The goats are watered from a portable 200-gallon tank with a simple hose, float, and tank attachment. They also get water from nearby streams and springs in some paddocks.

Most of the offspring of the goat herd are sold in early November when they are 50–80 pounds, with meat goats sold at auction in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Norfolk, Nebraska. By the time they go to market, these goats have been fed only on pasture and baled forages.

Wagner doesn't complain about the market price because he said he is basically borrowing his feed source from his father's pastures. With very little supplement or parasite control necessary in his rotational system, his expenses are minimized. Most goats currently bring 90 cents to one dollar a pound.

Wagner wants to take his goat herd to 100 head or more of breeding stock. He has about 800 acres of pasture and crop stubble at his disposal at different times of the year, and he is now installing permanent fencing on a separate 550 acres of pasture a few miles from home.

He will invest about $3,000 for fencing the new project. "It's some expensive fence," he said, "but that's some rough country, and we want to step up to the next phase."

Perimeter fencing and permanent paddock fences will be the strongest, then he can more easily subdivide each paddock using the more portable poly electric fence.

"It's a lot of work moving paddocks," he said, explaining that rough terrain combined with a larger herd would make moving temporary fencing more frequent and time consuming. He hopes strong permanent fences that can be quickly and easily subdivided will add to the efficiency. It will also work for rotating his father's cows through the same pastures.

With a minimal impact on grasses growing in the pastures, Wagner said the only impact the goats are making is on his bottom line.