In a method of milking an animal by using a milking machine having at least one teat cup (4) with a liner (5) and a pulsation chamber (6), the milking machine is operated to pressurize the pulsation chamber, such that during each pulsation the liner opens and/or closes at a slower rate during the beginning and/or ending periods (I, III, IV) of the milking operation than during the main milk extracting period (II) of the milking operation.
A milking machine having a teatcup (3) with a teatcup liner (6) and a pulsation chamber (7), the pulsating vacuum level is determined when the teatcup liner (6) abruptly opens or closes. At least one of the milking vacuum and the pulsating vacuum is controlled such that the maximum level of the pulsating vacuum is lower than the milking vacuum level and at least as high as the determined level.
In a milking process the animal is stimulated during a stimulation phase (I) for initiating the animal to let down milk in the udder, while a relatively small milk flow is achieved. During a subsequent main milking phase (II) the animal is treated to eject a relatively large milk flow. The stimulation phase is ended and the main milking phase is started when at least one monitored milking variable reaches a predetermined value. According to the invention the milking variable relates to the milk quantity extracted from the animal. Further milking variables may be monitored such as milk flow and the time of the stimulation phase, so that the stimulation phase is ended when any of the monitored milking variables reaches a predetermined value. Hereby the duration of the stimulation phase can be adapted to the individual needs of the animals.
The invention relates to a method and a device for milking an animal, which includes at least a pair of teatcups (2). A pulsator (12) is arranged, via a pulsation chamber (4) of each teatcup (2), to subject its liners (3) for a cyclically pulsating pressure from the outside, which pressure has a cycle with a time period T. The cycle includes a first opening phase (a), a second open phase (b), a third closing phase (c) and a fourth closed phase (d). When both the time periods of the second open phase (b) and the fourth closed phase (d) are less than the half time period for the total cycle, T the cyclically pulsating pressures of the respective pulsation chambers are controlled by a control (15) in such a way that a flow of milk between the two teatcups of the respective pair is prevented.
In a method for mechanically extracting milk, the pressure in the pulsator chamber of a teat cup is, with regard to the milking vacuum effective below the teat, controlled in such a way that, with due regard to a pressure which is required for folding in a teat rubber and which depends on the respective teat rubber used, a pressure difference between 5 kPa and 35 kPa will act on the teat in order to avoid pathological modifications of the teats.
An animal is milked by periodically alternating the milking of each teat between a first mode of operation (I), in which the liner on the teat is exposed to an exterior pulsating vacuum causing the liner to open and close in a series of pulsation cycles, and a second mode of operation (II), in which the liner is exposed to an exterior substantially constant vacuum, which is high enough to keep the liner in a substantially fully open state. The duration of the second mode (II) is at least as long as the duration of a plurality of pulsation cycles of the first mode (I).
