A detecting arrangement for dairy cattle comprising: - a sensor provided for measuring lying and standing times for a milking animal, wherein said sensor is attachable to said milking animal and comprises: - a part movable between a first position and a second position, said first position being reached when said milking animal is standing and said second position being reached when said milking animal is lying; - an electric circuit influenceable by said movable part; - means for measuring the influence of said electric circuit by said movable part; and - means for detecting lying and standing times for said milking animal based on said measured influence of said electric circuit, characterized in that - said sensor comprises a hollow cone oriented so that the tip of the hollow cone is pointing downwards when said sensor is attached to said milking animal when said milking animal is standing; - said movable part is arranged within said hollow cone; - said first and second positions are reached by means of the force of gravity acting on said movable part; and - said movable part is located at the tip of said hollow cone in said first position and at the base of said hollow cone in said second position, and wherein - said arrangement comprises processing means provided for automatically comparing the measured lying and standing times for said milking animal with reference values of lying and standing times, and for indicating a health condition of said milking animal or establishing whether said milking animal is in heat or not based on said comparison. - a sensor provided for measuring lying and standing times for a milking animal, wherein said sensor is attachable to said milking animal and comprises: - a part movable between a first position and a second position, said first position being reached when said milking animal is standing and said second position being reached when said milking animal is lying; - an electric circuit influenceable by said movable part; - means for measuring the influence of said electric circuit by said movable part; and - means for detecting lying and standing times for said milking animal based on said measured influence of said electric circuit, characterized in that - a part movable between a first position and a second position, said first position being reached when said milking animal is standing and said second position being reached when said milking animal is lying; - an electric circuit influenceable by said movable part; - means for measuring the influence of said electric circuit by said movable part; and - means for detecting lying and standing times for said milking animal based on said measured influence of said electric circuit, characterized in that - said sensor comprises a hollow cone oriented so that the tip of the hollow cone is pointing downwards when said sensor is attached to said milking animal when said milking animal is standing; - said movable part is arranged within said hollow cone; - said first and second positions are reached by means of the force of gravity acting on said movable part; and - said movable part is located at the tip of said hollow cone in said first position and at the base of said hollow cone in said second position, and wherein - said arrangement comprises processing means provided for automatically comparing the measured lying and standing times for said milking animal with reference values of lying and standing times, and for indicating a health condition of said milking animal or establishing whether said milking animal is in heat or not based on said comparison.