In a method of milking an animal, the conditions of the milking operation are substantially stable during a main milking phase and are unintentionally changed during a terminating milking phase. According to the invention, at least one unintentional change in the milking operation conditions during at least one initial milking operation is sensed, at least one milking parameter is registered in response to said sensed unintentional change, and each said registered parameter is utilized to change...

A method of mechanical milking consists of a main milking phase and of a preceding stimulation phase involving mechanical stimulation of the teats of the animal to be milked. To obtain optimal milking readiness individual-specific stimulation is proposed, taking the different stimulation needs of each individual animal into account.

A milking machine (1) comprises at least one teatcup (2) having a teatcup liner (4) and a pulsation chamber (5), a first pressure source (14) for generating a first pressure, a second pressure source (9) for generating a sub-atmospheric second pressure, which is lower than the first pressure, and conduit means (12, 15, 13) for transmitting the first pressure and the second pressure, respectively to the pulsation chamber (5). A pulsator (11) is provided for alternately connecting the first pressu...

In a process for milking animals and with the aid of teatcup liners, each teatcup liner is brought to be cyclicly partly opened during an initial milking phase (I), when the teat in the teatcup liner still is slack, so that the teatcup liner is prevented from crawling upwards on the teat and throttle the milk passage between udder and teat. During a subsequent main phase (II) of the milking, when the teat is extended, the teatcup liner is brought to be cyclicly opened at least substantially comp...

In a milking barn having milking stalls disposed at an angle to the cow entry-exit path, an improved stall configuration is disclosed having parallel entry and exit paths for simultaneous entry and exit by individual cows. Each angularly disposed milking pen includes an overlying loading pen. The path between the loading pen and the milking pen spans across both the entrance and exit paths. The entrance path passes immediately adjacent the loading pen; a cow passing along the entrance path is di...

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.

Milking cups are attached to the teats of the female animal by positioning the milking cups relative to at least one teat by means of a control system responsive to a first sensor. The relative position of the teats in a substantially horizontal plane is determined by a second sensor and the milking cups are attached one after another while the at least one teat is continually sensed by the first sensor.

A method of training animals that are milked in a fully automated milking system wherein they enter a milking parlor at their own volition, not to enter the milking parlor too soon after the previous milking by causing the animal that does so to experience unpleasant procedures. The circumstance that the animal is visiting a milking parlor too soon after its last visit is sensed by the milk flow from at least one of the teats or because the automatic milking machine is unable to connect the teat...

A device and method for the automatic milking of animals is disclosed. The device includes at least two milking stalls that are positioned one after the other in a lengthwise direction. The stalls are provided on one of the long sides with an entrance door and exit door, each movable with a drive device. Animals can walk via the exit door and a passageway out of the milking stall to an accommodation area. The access to the second and subsequent stalls crosses the passageway. The device further i...

A milking robot has articulated arms extensible into a milking compartment to place teat cups onto each of the animal's teats. Also extended from outside into the compartment is a further articulated arm that carries a detector for ascertaining the location of the animal's teats, such information being used to connect the teat cups automatically. An electromagnetic gripper at the end of each robot arm has a seat to match the corresponding teat cup's shell. Each teat cup is loosely connected to t...