An animal stall system in which the individual stall divider members, that are made of a rigid material such as metal tubing, are connected to the framework of the stall system by intermediary resiliently flexible elastomeric members that provide a preferred amount of deflection of the stall divider member relative to the stall system framework on which the divider members are connected, thereby providing increased comfort to the animals.

A modular animal pen system comprises front and rear panels and opposed side panels extending between the front and rear panels to form a primary enclosure. The front panel has adjacent doorway apertures formed therein to receive respective selectively closable gates, and a mullion is disposed between the doorway apertures. The mullion has a first slot, and a second slot in the rear panel is in registration with the first slot. The animal pen system further comprises a removable divider panel whose longitudinal ends are sized to fit removably within the respective slots so that the divider panel can divide the primary enclosure into two secondary enclosures. The side and divider panels may be formed by interchangeable profile panels, and the front and rear panels may be formed by interchangeable face panels connectable end-to-end to form a junction slot therebetween sized to receive the longitudinal ends of the profile panels.

A gating system comprising a gate, footplate, formed latch assemblies, formed tab end assemblies, c-bracket, and parallel structural members which provides infinite mounting points to connect gates to slotted floor slates with a footplate. The gating system simplifies the design, manufacture, installation, and operation of animal management.

A kit for articulated connection between dividing panels having a pair of male pieces with a coupling protrusion; and a pair of female pieces with a coupling hole, the protrusions engage the holes when relative vertical movement between the pair of male and female pieces is produced when fixed to the panels. One of the first or second pair of pieces is configured with a depression such that the coupling protrusion or the coupling hole is arranged in the groove. The kit includes an auxiliary piece with a retaining pin actuatable with a lever and with an angled end, fixable to the lateral wing of one of the male pieces, the pin remaining parallel to the lateral wing and outside the panel. Regulated by the lever, the angled retaining end of the pin can be arranged in at least two positions: a release position and a locking position.

A living area includes a lying and eating area and a milking area. The living area is connected to a separation area by a selection device. A subgroup of dairy animals to be separated is determined together with a desired end time at which the dairy animals to be separated should be present in the separation area. For each individual dairy animal from the subgroup to be separated, an individual separation period is determined separately which runs from the individually determined start time until the end time. A dairy animal which walks to the selection device is guided by the selection device to the separation area if the dairy animal belongs to the subgroup of dairy animals to be separated and if said dairy animal is present at the selection device during the individual separation period determined for said dairy animal. The activity of each dairy animal in the group of dairy animals is observed by an observation system while the dairy animal is in the lying and eating area. The individual separation period of each individual dairy animal from the subgroup to be separated depends on the activity of said dairy animal observed by the observation system.

A coupling component for an animal cubicle that includes an engagement member, a pipe collar transverse to the engagement member for receiving a neckrail, a flexible member that extends in opposite directions from the engagement member and connects the engagement member to the pipe collar so that the flexible member encircles a space adjacent the pipe collar. The deformation of the flexible member allows relative movement between the engagement member and the pipe collar.

A system may provide for delivering a sequence of one or more soaking sprays at a station where an animal is present. The station may include a pressurized pipe supplying a liquid for the soaking spray, a valve and nozzle coupled to the pipe, and a control circuit coupled to the valve. The control circuit may be operable to determine the sequence of the soaking spray using a signal from an animal sensor that is configured to detect the presence of the animal at the station. The system may include an environmental sensor providing at least one signal to the control circuit. The signal from the environmental sensor may be used by the control circuit to determine the sequence for the soaking spray.

A kit for articulated connection between dividing panels having a pair of male pieces with a coupling protrusion; and a pair of female pieces with a coupling hole, the protrusions engage the holes when relative vertical movement between the pair of male and female pieces is produced when fixed to the panels. One of the first or second pair of pieces is configured with a depression such that the coupling protrusion or the coupling hole is arranged in the groove. The kit includes an auxiliary piece with a retaining pin actuatable with a lever and with an angled end, fixable to the lateral wing of one of the male pieces, the pin remaining parallel to the lateral wing and outside the panel. Regulated by the lever, the angled retaining end of the pin can be arranged in at least two positions: a release position and a locking position.

A system for milking a group of milking animals includes a stationary animal accommodation space having a fixed floor, a plurality of milking stations, and an animal-free space which is closed for the milking animals in the accommodation space and extends adjacent to the milking stations. The system also includes an automatic milking system that includes milking cups and a robot device movable relative to the milking stations, the milking cups being connectable automatically to the teats of a milking animal present in the milking station. The system further includes a milk discharge system having at least one flexible milk line that connects the milking cups to a milk storage tank. The flexible milk line is configured so that the robot device can move from the animal-free space into each of the milking stations while the milk line remains connected to the robot device.

The present invention concerns a livestock stall diverter system for a free stall stable and a method of providing air conditioning for animals in a free stall stable, said system comprising a plurality of stall dividers arranged in one or more rows comprising at least one vertical support member and at least one diverter member extending away from the support member, wherein the at least one diverter member is provided a tubular member with a plurality of air apertures, and that said tubular member is connected to an air supply.