First pocket gophers of the year

When I cut my hayfield I was surprised not to see any dirt mounds from new pocket gophers.  By now the gophers are on the move after raising their young this Spring.  Now, a week after I cut the hayfield, I have found a half dozen dirt mounds along my southern fence / SW corner.  They are moving in from Wyatt's field.  I wonder if the hayfield grass and alfalfa was too tall and thick for the pocket gophers?  You wouldn't think so as the pocket gophers live underground.  I have caught and killed two of them so far.  Need to nip it in the bud before they get established and invite their neighbors in.


The heifers that ate the rhubarb plants seem to be doing fine.  Two of them, Little Red and Little Beulah (of course), went to the south pasture within 24 hours of being in the middle pasture.  They found a weakness in the middle pasture fence along the river and walked the narrow strip of land between the fence and river until they reached the south pasture.  I got them back into the middle pasture.  The next afternoon those two were again in the south pasture.  This time they brought Red, Sugar, #60, Speckles and Speckles' calf with them.  By later afternoon Red and #60 were bellowing for their calves as the cows' udders were full.  I let them back into the middle pasture.  The next afternoon Little Red and Little Beulah, Red, Sugar, and Red's calf were in the south pasture.  Again in the evening I let them back into the middle pasture.

Today Little Beulah, Red, Toby and a calf were in the south pasture.  After I laid some tree branches over the fence spots along the river where the cattle had pushed the wire down, I let the whole herd into the south pasture.  It was time to rotate pastures anyway.  Of course my spoiled divas went to the gate to the hayfield and bellowed and bellowed at me to let them into the hayfield.  The hay bales are still in the hayfield and everyday it rains.  I don't want to put wet hay bales into the hayshed.  And the grass is growing nicely in the hayfield.   I didn't let the cattle into the hayfield.  The pastures are full of tall lush grass.


Either Mama or Diamond broke a wire on a fence protecting one of the small apricot trees.  They pushed the fence up and ate over 90% of the tree's leaves.  *sigh*  They have plenty of grass but they are obsessed with eating tree leaves.