The present invention relates to preparing dairy animal teats for being milked, and more particularly to teat preparation, rinsing, and milking that all take place in a milking machine teat cup liner. Such a method includes: applying a teat sanitizer to the teat; injecting air into the liner to force the teat sanitizer toward a waste milk line connected to the liner; pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate; drawing a rinsing milk from the teat; directing the teat sanitizer, the air, and the rinsing fluid to the waste milk line; pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate to draw additional milk from the teat; and directing the additional milk to a good milk line.

A system and method for automatically drying-off a machine-milked dairy animal by controlling milk production during a gradual drying-off period. During the gradual drying-off period, the dairy animal is not milked out. For each milking during this period, an amount of milk to be removed is determined, which is less than the amount removed at a previous milking. When the amount of milk for the current milking has been removed from the dairy animal, milking is stopped. The start of the gradual drying-off period is calculated from the dry-off date, the desired date of cessation of milking for this lactation, and from a predetermined drying-off period.

A system and method for automatically drying-off a machine-milked dairy animal by controlling milk production during a gradual drying-off period. During the gradual drying-off period, the dairy animal is not milked out. For each milking during this period, an amount of milk to be removed is determined, which is less than the amount removed at a previous milking. When the amount of milk for the current milking has been removed from the dairy animal, milking is stopped. The start of the gradual drying-off period is calculated from the dry-off date, the desired date of cessation of milking for this lactation, and from a predetermined drying-off period.

A milking arrangement includes robot milking stations connected to a milk conduit with an outlet end. A connection conduit connected to the outlet end includes an outlet member. A cleaning device for cleaning the milk conduit includes a cleaning conduit having a first connection member. A milk tank includes a second connection member. The outlet member is movable between and connectable to the first connection member in a primary state, and to the second connection member in a secondary state. A controller communicates with the milking stations, the cleaning device and a user interface. When determined to change the state, measures for preparing the arrangement for the change are automatically performed. Thereafter, the user interface indicates to an operator that the arrangement is ready for the change.

A milking arrangement includes robot milking stations connected to a milk conduit with an outlet end. A connection conduit connected to the outlet end includes an outlet member. A cleaning device for cleaning the milk conduit includes a cleaning conduit having a first connection member. A milk tank includes a second connection member. The outlet member is movable between and connectable to the first connection member in a primary state, and to the second connection member in a secondary state. A controller communicates with the milking stations, the cleaning device and a user interface. When determined to change the state, measures for preparing the arrangement for the change are automatically performed. Thereafter, the user interface indicates to an operator that the arrangement is ready for the change.

Described herein is a method for predicting the methane (CH.sub.4) emission of a dairy cow, the method including: a) determining the total amount of milk of a dairy cow per one day; b) determining the energy corrected milk value (ECM) of the milk of the dairy cow of the same day as in a); c) determining the percentage amount of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) of the total milk fat of the dairy cow of the same day as in a) and the percentage amount of stearic acid (C18:0) of the total milk fat of the dairy cow of the same day; d) calculating the daily amount of methane emitted by the dairy cow based on the ECM as determined according to b), the percentage amount of SFAs of the total milk fat as determined according to c), and the percentage amount of C18:0 of the total milk fat as determined according to c).

A milking apparatus is described that includes a longitudinally extending liner made from a resiliently deformable material. The liner is mounted on a rigid support shell. The liner comprises an outer hood configured to lie over an outer surface of the rigid support shell, and an inner barrel configured to be disposed within the rigid support shell and to define an internal volume. The inner barrel extends in the longitudinal direction away from an opening at a first end of the liner, through which opening an animal teat is insertable into the internal volume. The inner barrel is connected to the outer hood at a plurality of longitudinally extending connection regions on an inner surface of the outer hood. These connections define boundary conditions that limit the deformation of the barrel that encloses the teat can be set by the configuration of the liner itself.

A milking apparatus is described that includes a longitudinally extending liner made from a resiliently deformable material. The liner is mounted on a rigid support shell. The liner comprises an outer hood configured to lie over an outer surface of the rigid support shell, and an inner barrel configured to be disposed within the rigid support shell and to define an internal volume. The inner barrel extends in the longitudinal direction away from an opening at a first end of the liner, through which opening an animal teat is insertable into the internal volume. The inner barrel is connected to the outer hood at a plurality of longitudinally extending connection regions on an inner surface of the outer hood. These connections define boundary conditions that limit the deformation of the barrel that encloses the teat can be set by the configuration of the liner itself.

The present invention relates to preparing dairy animal teats for being milked, and more particularly to teat preparation, rinsing, and milking that all take place in a milking machine teat cup liner. Such a method includes: applying a teat sanitizer to the teat; injecting air into the liner to force the teat sanitizer toward a waste milk line connected to the liner; pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate; drawing a rinsing milk from the teat; directing the teat sanitizer, the air, and the rinsing fluid to the waste milk line; pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate to draw additional milk from the teat; and directing the additional milk to a good milk line.

The present invention relates to preparing dairy animal teats for being milked, and more particularly to teat preparation, rinsing, and milking that all take place in a milking machine teat cup liner. Such a method includes: applying a teat sanitizer to the teat; injecting air into the liner to force the teat sanitizer toward a waste milk line connected to the liner; pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate; drawing a rinsing milk from the teat; directing the teat sanitizer, the air, and the rinsing fluid to the waste milk line; pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate to draw additional milk from the teat; and directing the additional milk to a good milk line.