Bovine leukosis is a contagious disease of cattle caused by Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV). The disease is characterized by a persistent leukemia which can culminate in malignant lymphosarcoma. The National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) determined that BLV is present in 89 percent of U.S. dairy operations. Only 30 to 40 percent of BLV carriers will develop leukemia, while less than 5 percent develop malignant lymphosarcoma. A later study determined the incidence of lymphosarcoma was six to seven cases per year per 1,000 cows if the herd prevalence of BLV was 50 percent.

I never claimed to be a cowman and I’ve got the scars to prove it! Frostbit fingers, baler twine blisters and an odd scrape in the side of my head where the hair won’t grow back from when my good ol’ horse slipped down on an ice slick on the calving lot. I went out off the front quarter, hung my left spur on the canvas medicine bag that was looped over the horn with parachute chord and lost a chunk of my ear when he drug me, unconscious, over the rusty metal feeder by the gate. My ear now looks like a chew toy!

In the nearly 20 years of writing this column, I often have written about science and art: what they are to me and how we might describe their role in our public space. For instance, I have written that science is a methodological approach of testing ideas or premises. We start with little knowledge and use inductive reasoning and empirical evidence to arrive at understanding.

Lance Fox New London, Wisconsin Senior Veterinarian, U.S. Dairy Veterinary Operations Pfizer Animal Health

Here are some of the new products or updates to previous products that have been announced as of October 12, 2011. Return to this section of the Progressive Dairyman website periodically to find out what new products will be impacting the dairy industry.

As the drought continues to plague the Southwest, surprisingly, wheat plantings and emergence are on par with prior five-year averages according to Monday's Crop Progress report.  However, the longer-term outlook of these acres being able to support the number of calves they have in previous year's is much more suspect.

Another year of drought, or even five to 10 years more drought? The first is highly likely, and the second, though harder to predict, a strong possibility, according to Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, state climatologist.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- The idea of slaughtering New England-raised cattle and selling the beef locally is based more on idealism than economic reality, says a report commissioned by the six states' agriculture departments.

Everyone knows the story about Goldilocks and the three bears. But, have you have heard about Goldilocks and the three cows?

The All-American Dairy Show, held Sept. 17-22 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, featured six days of high-quality dairy cattle, youth activities and industry meetings. For the first year in the show's 48-year history, Progressive Dairyman attended the event, giving away magazines and sponsoring the daily Barn Grazing newsletter. Each day the newsletter featured trivia questions, and those who were the first to answer received a free Proud to Dairy hat.