Patent ID: 6543381
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: A01K

Abstract:
Milking apparatus (1), for the milking of dairy animals (9), comprising:individual identifying means (11), intended to be worn one on each individual dairy animal (9); simple feeding stations (3â€²-3â€³â€³), each provided with a food dispensing, means (4) and a sensing means (15) for sensing said individual identifying means (11); a combined feeding and milking station (5â€², 5â€³), provided with a food dispensing means (6), a milking means (7), and a sensing means (15) for sensing said individual identifying means (11); and control means (8, 19) for controlling the simple feeding stations (3â€²-3â€³â€³) and the combined feeding and milking station (5â€²-5â€³), characterized in that said control means (8, 19) is provided with a determining means (19), which is arranged to calculate, for each individual animal (9), on the basis of at least registered feed consumption and the time of the latest milking, a time for starting the next milking, and in that the determining means (19) is arranged to control said simple feeding stations (3â€²-3â€³â€³) to allow for each individual animal (9) dispensing of feed only before said time for next milking and to control the combined feeding and milking station (5â€²-5â€³) to allow dispensing of feed only at a time after said time, in association with performing of milking.