Patent ID: 7640889

Claim:
An assembly for feeding and milking animals, the assembly being provided with: an area where the animals are allowed to move freely; a number of juxtaposed feeding stations for the animals; a retaining device fixedly disposed at a feeding station for retaining an animal at that feeding station, which retaining device can be activated for retaining that animal and can be deactivated for releasing that animal; a self propelled mobile milking robot comprising a milking device for milking an animal including at least one teat cup for connection to a teat of an animal; and a computer system for controlling the operation and movement of the milking robot; wherein the assembly is capable of determining the feeding station where an animal to be milked is present, and activating the relevant retaining device for retaining said animal at the determined feeding station and the retaining device of at least one adjacent feeding station that is adjacent to the determined feeding station.