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 robotic attacher retrieves first and second cups from the right side of an equipment area located behind a dairy livestock and attaches the cups to the teats of the dairy livestock in sequence. The sequence comprises attaching the first cup to the right front teat and a second cup to the left front teat of the dairy livestock. The robotic attacher retrieves third and fourth cups from the right side of the equipment area and attaches the cups to the teats of the dairy livestock in sequence. The sequence comprises attaching the third cup to the right rear teat and the fourth cup to the left rear teat.

A method of operating a robotic attacher, comprises extending a robotic attacher between the legs of a dairy livestock. The method further comprises attaching milking equipment to the dairy livestock using a gripping portion of the robotic attacher during a milking operation, wherein the gripping portion has a nozzle that is positioned away from a teat of the dairy livestock during the milking operation. The method further comprises rotating the gripping portion of the robotic attacher so that the nozzle is positioned to face a teat of the dairy livestock during a spraying operation.

Apparatus and methods for a dairy harvesting facility including valves and valve assemblies that prevent contaminants from reaching a central milk collection system.

A system includes a milking box stall of a size sufficient to accommodate a dairy livestock. The milking box stall comprises a front wall, a rear wall, a first side wall and a second side wall. The system further includes an equipment portion located adjacent to the rear wall. The equipment portion comprises a separation container for use with only the milking box stall and that is operable to receive milk from the dairy livestock to be discarded if it is determined to be bad milk. The equipment portion further comprises a receiver jar for use with only the milking box stall and that is operable to receive milk from the dairy livestock if it is determined to be good milk.

In certain embodiments, a system includes a front wall, a rear wall positioned substantially parallel to the front wall, and first and second side walls each extending between the front wall and the rear wall. The first side wall includes a gate, and the second side wall is spaced apart from the first side wall such that the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall define a milking box stall of a size sufficient to accommodate a dairy livestock. The system includes an equipment portion located adjacent to the rear wall. The equipment portion houses a robotic attacher configured to extend between the rear legs of a dairy livestock located within the milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the dairy livestock.

A method comprises positioning a robotic attacher under a dairy livestock located in a milking stall, wherein the robotic attacher comprises a nozzle. The method continues by rotating the robotic attacher such that the nozzle is positioned generally on the top of the robotic attacher and performing a spraying operation using the nozzle. The method concludes by retracting the robotic attacher from under the dairy livestock.

A robotic attacher retrieves a preparation cup from an equipment area of a milking box located behind a dairy livestock. The robotic attacher 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 right front teat, the left front teat, the left rear teat, and the right rear teat.

A method of operating a robotic attacher, includes suspending a robotic attacher from a rail and extending the robotic attacher between the legs of a dairy livestock. The method continues by attaching milking equipment to the dairy livestock using a gripping portion of the robotic attacher during a milking operation, wherein the gripping portion has a nozzle that is positioned away from a teat of the dairy livestock during the milking operation. The method concludes by rotating the gripping portion of the robotic attacher so that the nozzle is positioned to face a teat of the dairy livestock during a spraying operation.

A robotic attacher retrieves cups from the left side of an equipment area located behind a dairy livestock and attaches the cups to the teats of the dairy livestock in sequence. The sequence comprises attaching a first cup to the left front teat, a second cup to the right front teat, a third cup to the left rear teat, and a fourth cup to the right rear teat.