A milking arrangement comprising a milking machine for milking an animal, wherein the milking arrangement comprises a control unit that is configured to obtain identity of the animal in connection with milking of the animal, obtain a reference point in time of a lactation cycle of the identified animal, determine to take at least one milk sample of the animal, when a predetermined time period has passed from the reference point in time; obtain a Haptoglobin level from the milk sample, compare the obtained Haptoglobin level with a Haptoglobin reference limit, and indicate health condition of the animal, based on the made comparison.

According to the present invention, a somatic cell meter includes a somatic cell concentration measuring section, a time constant recording section, and a somatic cell concentration deriving section. The somatic cell concentration measuring section measures the somatic cell concentration of centrifuged raw milk in association with the duration of the centrifugation. The time constant recording section records a time constant in the association relationship between the somatic cell concentration and the duration. The somatic cell concentration deriving section derives the somatic cell concentration based on a measurement result from the somatic cell concentration measuring section and a recorded content from the time constant recording section.

An automatic milking system including an electronic control unit, a milking station, a production milk tank, a second milk tank, an animal identification system, a first sensor to measure at least one indicator of illness of an animal, a data memory in which measurements are gathered. The control unit configured to register a first point of time at which milk from an animal is diverted to the second tank instead of being conducted to the production milk tank, register a second point of time at which milk from the animal is shifted from being conducted to the second tank to being conducted to the production milk tank, and, when the time period between the first point of time and the second point of time is within a predetermined number days, the control unit determines that the animal is in an illness state.

An automatic milking system including an electronic control unit, a milking station, a production milk tank, a second milk tank, an animal identification system, a first sensor to measure at least one indicator of illness of an animal, a data memory in which measurements are gathered. The control unit configured to register a first point of time at which milk from an animal is diverted to the second tank instead of being conducted to the production milk tank, register a second point of time at which milk from the animal is shifted from being conducted to the second tank to being conducted to the production milk tank, and, when the time period between the first point of time and the second point of time is within a predetermined number days, the control unit determines that the animal is in an illness state.

According to the present invention, an identification information readout apparatus includes an identification information readout section, a somatic cell concentration measuring section, and a measurement result recording section. The identification information readout section reads cow identification information out of a recording medium with the cow identification information recorded therein. The somatic cell concentration measuring section measures the somatic cell concentration of milk obtained from a cow. The measurement result recording section records the somatic cell concentration and the cow identification information in association with each other. The recording medium is attached to the cow.

A method of calibrating a sensors in a system for obtaining animal data from animals is described. The sensors are configured to obtain measurements of an animal related parameter during arbitrary visits by the animal to the sensors. For at least one of the animals, a first measurement associated with a first sensor of the sensors is obtained, and calculating one or more relations between the first measurement and one or more second measurements associated with the respective animal. Each of the second measurements is obtained using a further sensor, so as to obtain at least one representative relation for each combination of the first sensor and each one of the further sensors. The system calculates, based on the at least one representative relation, a correction factor associated with at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors.

A distribution unit for milk samples includes a flow passage, a valve controlled milk inlet port through which milk is delivered to the flow passage, a pump port through which a sampling pump communicates with the flow passage, and at least two valve controlled milk sampling outlet ports through which milk samples are delivered from the flow passage to a respective milk sample analyzing unit. The flow passage has a longitudinal extension between a first end and a second end, and the milk sampling outlet ports are connected to the flow passage in positions located between the connection position of the milk inlet port and the connection position of the pump port.

The invention relates to a portable device for testing agro-dairy based samples. The said device comprises an optical detector based on micro-spectroscopy. With the aid of an adaptor, the device is amenable to holding a colorimetric test strip, a concave shaped holder for a solid or semi-solid substance and/or a cuvette. The invention also describes a system of testing agro-dairy based samples comprising the said portable device and also a method of testing agro-dairy based samples using the said system.

A distribution unit for milk samples includes a flow passage, a valve controlled milk inlet port through which milk is delivered to the flow passage, a pump port through which a sampling pump communicates with the flow passage, and at least two valve controlled milk sampling outlet ports through which milk samples are delivered from the flow passage to a respective milk sample analyzing unit. The flow passage has a longitudinal extension between a first end and a second end, and the milk sampling outlet ports are connected to the flow passage in positions located between the connection position of the milk inlet port and the connection position of the pump port.

The invention relates to a method for diagnosing mastitis in a lactating and preferably bovine animal, the method comprising recording data, the data having been obtained from analyzing a series of milk samples, the series of milk samples in turn having been obtained by periodically milking an animal, the data including total and/or differential leukocyte counts and changes in these count(s) between subsequent samples, wherein the differential leukocyte counts include the lymphocyte count, the macrophage count and the neutrophil count; and evaluating the recorded data to obtain information on the presence of mastitis and/or stage of mastitis and/or on the microorganism responsible for mastitis.