A method for detecting one or more properties of milk flowing turbulently in a pipeline with a gaseous phase medium as a pulsed flow comprising a plurality of time spaced apart slugs of milk with air interspersed therebetween, the one or more of the properties of the milk to be detected comprising the presence of milk flowing in the pipeline , the method comprising monitoring a sonic signal produced by the turbulently flowing spaced apart milk slugs in the pipeline , filtering the frequency domain of the monitored signal to produce a portion of the monitored signal within a predefined frequency bandwidth indicative of milk flowing in the pipeline , computing an energy parameter value of the portion of the monitored signal within the predefined frequency bandwidth, comparing the computed energy parameter value with a first predefined energy parameter value indicative of air being drawn under vacuum into the pipeline through the teat cups, comparing the computed energy parameter value with a second predefined energy parameter value indicative of the teat cups of the milking cluster being attached to the teats of the animal without milk flowing in the pipeline , comparing the computed energy parameter value with an upper third predefined energy parameter value and a lower third predefined energy parameter value indicative of milk flowing in the pipeline , and determining the presence of milk flowing in a pipeline in response to the computed energy parameter value lying within the upper and lower third predefined energy parameter values, wherein the method further comprises if the presence of milk flowing in the pipeline is detected, determining the mass flow rate of the milk from the computed energy parameter value, the mass flow rate of the milk being determined by comparing the computed energy parameter value of the monitored signal within the predefined frequency bandwidth with a system of calibration energy values and corresponding calibration mass flow rates, and determining the mass flow rate of the milk as a function of the system of the calibration energy values and the corresponding calibration mass flow rates. monitoring a sonic signal produced by the turbulently flowing spaced apart milk slugs in the pipeline , filtering the frequency domain of the monitored signal to produce a portion of the monitored signal within a predefined frequency bandwidth indicative of milk flowing in the pipeline , computing an energy parameter value of the portion of the monitored signal within the predefined frequency bandwidth, comparing the computed energy parameter value with a first predefined energy parameter value indicative of air being drawn under vacuum into the pipeline through the teat cups, comparing the computed energy parameter value with a second predefined energy parameter value indicative of the teat cups of the milking cluster being attached to the teats of the animal without milk flowing in the pipeline , comparing the computed energy parameter value with an upper third predefined energy parameter value and a lower third predefined energy parameter value indicative of milk flowing in the pipeline , and determining the presence of milk flowing in a pipeline in response to the computed energy parameter value lying within the upper and lower third predefined energy parameter values, wherein the method further comprises if the presence of milk flowing in the pipeline is detected, determining the mass flow rate of the milk from the computed energy parameter value, the mass flow rate of the milk being determined by comparing the computed energy parameter value of the monitored signal within the predefined frequency bandwidth with a system of calibration energy values and corresponding calibration mass flow rates, and determining the mass flow rate of the milk as a function of the system of the calibration energy values and the corresponding calibration mass flow rates. <EOS>