Patent ID: 8256376
Filing Date: 2012-09-04
Classification: A01K

Abstract:
1. A method of milking dairy animals using a milking implement and an access device for allowing or not allowing one or more dairy animals access to a waiting area for the milking implement, the milking implement being separated from the waiting area and accessible from the waiting area via an entrance, wherein the access device has at least first and second mutually different access states, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: a) driving a plurality of dairy animals into the waiting area, the plurality of animals including one or more specific animals to be milked, the plurality of animals being present in the waiting area simultaneously and having free access to the entrance for access to the milking implement; b) providing the access device in the first access state wherein the first access state is a closed access state, that does not allow access to the waiting area; c) identifying by means of an animal identification system the animals from the plurality of animals which are being milked by the milking implement after said device is in said closed access state; d) determining milking implement processing data on the basis of the identified animals; e) comparing the milking implement processing data that includes which animals have been milked according to (c) with a criterion, wherein the criterion is that said one or more specific animals which were present in the waiting area in the closed access state of the access device have been milked; and f) providing the access device in the second access state when the milking implement processing data meets the criterion; wherein the second access state is an access state which is open at least in a direction into the waiting area.