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Post From Juliette Albrecht - Misinformation. Outright lies. Both became the case for livestock producers as urban populations grew and the farmers who fed them shrank. Animal rights activists were more than happy to step into this gap, spreading propaganda about us. We let it happen because we were too busy to fight back. We didn't have the energy. But gradually that is changing. One of the BIGGEST loads of crap I see still being repeated however is that AI is r@pe. No I'm not talking about artificial intelligence. Artificial insemination is the topic here. Let's break it down a bit. Heifers (females) start cycling around 6 months old. Much like a pubescent girl, this is FAR too early for her to safely carry a calf to term. But if Mother Nature had her way this is exactly what would happen. Since activists don't like bull calves being sold I'll assume those calves would still be with their mothers. Those bulls don't care if it's their sister, mother or aunt that is in heat. They will BREED HER. You don't have to be a genetic expert to see that this would end in disaster. Negative haplotypes come from inbreeding. Some are fatal. Many bulls are extremely rough on a cow in heat. They will mount her to where she breaks her back, falls, or sustains numerous other injuries. Dairy bulls are also dangerous. They charge unprovoked, injuring or killing a human. Enter AI. We give a cow a break post calving. Even though she cycles we don't breed her. This is called a voluntary waiting period. She regains weight that was lost post calving. Her uterus returns to normal. This is about 80 days in milk for most commercial dairies. From the safety of negative 240 degrees nitrogen I can choose a sire that compliments HER. If she has bad feet and legs a good bull will correct that. Want shorter teats? Check. The benefits go on and on. It's generally a one time procedure. Cows often stand still for us, totally unrestrained, as a slender AI "gun" is threaded through her cervical rings. It is far from traumatic. Now for those screaming "you keep them pregnant..." First of all that is false. Yes the goal is to have them calve in once a year. But cows are not cheap to feed. Pregnancy means that they produce milk. Milk pays not only their bills, but those that are not in lactation. Yes we want them bred back on time. But it is not what the uniformed person believes. A happy, healthy cow produces a lot of milk. We're not bringing in the big dollars from them. It is in our best interest to handle them calmly, and keep them as stress free as possible. This INCLUDES AI. Dairy cattle demand constant management to simply survive. AI is just another tool available to producers. Plain and simple. * * * * * * From the Comments— Sarah Craig - If AI is the R word, I guess pap smears and IUI/IVF are as well. It’s a procedure. Plain and simple