A method is provided for a milking system including a moving device, milking stalls each provided with teat cups, an automatic teat cup attachment system, and an automatic teat cup returning system configured to return the teat cups to default storage positions subsequent to the milking. Current positions of the teat cups are, for each of the milking stalls, sensed after the teat cup returning system withdraws the teat cups, but before the automatic teat cup attachment system fetches the teat cups. The sensed positions of the teat cups are, for each of the milking stalls, compared with the default storage positions to determine whether the sensed current positions of the teat cups deviate from the default storage positions by at least a specified distance, and an action is performed when the sensed positions deviate from the default storage positions by at least the specified distance.

An exchangeable expendable part of a milking arrangement includes an identification tag with data by which a model or a manufacturing date of the exchangeable expendable part is uniquely identified. The tag is readable by a reader arranged to repeatedly read the tag and to forward the readings to a computer system, whereby the computer system identifies the model and/or a manufacturing date of the part based on the readings; and, in response to the identified model and/or manufacturing date, i) alerts an operator, ii) monitors and/or controls the milking arrangement, and/or iii) makes the model and/or the manufacturing date of the part available to an operator. Exchangeable expendable parts include teat cup liners, cartridges including teat cup liners, and milk or vacuum tubes connected to teat cups.

A control unit that controls an automatic milking machine to operate in accordance with control commands and/or parameter settings received from either of a local user interface fixedly arranged at the milking machine or a remote terminal, where the control unit, in response to receiving a lock command from one of the local user interface or the remote terminal, causes the automatic milking machine to operate in a single-control mode in which it operates exclusively to commands and/or parameter settings received from the one of the local user interface or the remote terminal that generated the lock command, in order to ensure predictable and safer operation of the milking machine particularly in view of personnel located in proximity of the milking machine.

A system includes includes a first milking box stall of a size sufficient to accommodate a first dairy livestock and a second milking box stall of a size sufficient to accommodate a second dairy livestock. The first and second milking box stalls face opposite directions. An equipment portion is located between the first milking box stall and the second milking box stall. A robotic attacher is housed in the equipment portion and configured to service both stalls at different times.

A robotic attacher retrieves a preparation cup from an equipment area located behind a dairy livestock and attaches and detaches the preparation cup to the teats of the dairy livestock in sequence. The sequence comprises attaching and detaching the preparation cup to the left front teat, the right front teat, the right rear teat, and the left rear teat.

A system includes a three-dimensional camera and a processor communicatively coupled to the three-dimensional camera. The processor is operable to determine a first and second edge of a dairy livestock. The first edge includes an inner portion of a first hind leg and a first portion of an udder of the dairy livestock. The second edge includes an inner portion of a second hind leg and a second portion of the udder of the dairy livestock. The processor calculates a reference point associated with the udder of the dairy livestock based at least in part upon the first edge and the second edge. A robotic attacher moves toward the udder of the dairy livestock based at least in part upon the calculated reference point.

An automatic animal processing device for automatically retrieving a domestic animal partly from a stall to process the animal while restraining the animal. The animal processing device includes an animal controlling mechanism operative to engage, position and restrain the animal for processing. The animal controlling mechanism may include at least on articulated arm to constrain and immobilize an animal to process it, e.g. milk it. The animal processing device may be a milking machine may be a milking machine having a milking head assembly and a cleaning system therefor whereby the milking head assembly is cleaned inside a compartment. The animal processing device may be a dual animal milking machine having full and half operation modes whereby two sets of processing equipments are used to service two animals simultaneously or only one set is used for both respectively.

A space divider (4) of a milking parlor arrangement for at least one milking parlor (3) for milking milk-producing animals (T), wherein the space divider (4) is arranged approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the animal (T) to be milked, has an arm device (6) having a milking cluster (5, 5′), which can be adjusted from a parking position to a working position and back. The arm device (6) is arranged with the milking cluster (5) in the parking position in the space divider (4), wherein the milking cluster (5, 5′) can be adjusted into the working position laterally to the animal (T) to be milked between the front and rear legs thereof. The milking cluster (5, 5′) comprises two halves, wherein each half has a specific set of at least one teatcup (5a). The space divider (4) is designed in such a way that no additional space is required between adjacent animals (T), so that many animals (T) can be milked in a milking parlor arrangement (1, 1′, 1″) while the smallest possible amount of space is required. A milking parlor arrangement (1, 1′, 1″) has at least one external robot (12).

A support arm assembly for milking equipment is disclosed which includes a pivotable support arm and a stationary arm suspension configured to support the pivotable support arm. The pivotable support arm includes an elongated arm member configured to support a milking cluster of the milking equipment at a distal end portion thereof. The elongated arm member is pivotable in a first direction and an opposite second direction in a substantially horizontal plane. The support arm assembly also includes a holding device configured to maintain the elongated arm member in a first pivotal position when the elongated arm member is subjected to a pivotal force smaller than a threshold force. Further a milking parlour is disclosed.

The present invention discloses, inter alia, a free dome range system (FDR) comprising at least one front elevated rail (FER); at least one rear elevated rail (RER); a plurality of mobile units, each of the plurality of mobile units movable along a member of a group consisting of: the at least one FER, the least one RER and any combination thereof. The invention also discloses a method of positioning at least one of a plurality of mobile units in an FDR comprising steps of providing a free dome range system (FDR) comprising at least one front elevated rail (FER); at least one rear elevated rail (RER); and the plurality of mobile units, each of the plurality of mobile units movable along a member of a group consisting of: the at least one FER, the least one RER and any combination thereof. The present invention further discloses a dairy farm characterized by (a) an array of n stalls side-by-side along an X axis on the dairy animal's level. Each of the stalls is configured by means of size and shape to accommodate a dairy animal, having a main axis Y that is substantially perpendicular to axis X, a front side and an opposite rear side; and (b) a common elevated road surface provided on a higher level, above the stalls. This upper road surface extends along the X axis and is constructed to allow free passage of mobile units, including mobile longitudinal milking units, in a direction along the X axis, along the Y axis, a rotation about the X axis, a rotation about the Y axis, a rotation about the Z axis, and any combination thereof. The present invention further discloses means and method that in a stall, a gate located between the animal and the feeding line is thereby configured to at least temporarily prevent or otherwise limit free access of said animal to its feed.