Patent ID: 8567344

Claim:
A method of controlling a milking device, comprising a milking unit which is provided with at least one teat cup that is connectable to a teat of a dairy animal, wherein the method comprises: providing a milking frequency determined in a first manner, associated with a first lactation phase, and providing a milking frequency determined in a second, different manner, associated with a later, second lactation phase, wherein the first and the second lactation phase are, the stimulation phase and the stable phase, respectively, of the lactation period of a dairy animal, wherein the first manner results in a higher milking frequency than the second manner in the same circumstances, identifying a dairy animal and determining the milking frequency associated with the identified dairy animal, milking the identified dairy animal with the milking unit in dependence on the determined milking frequency, determining the milk production of the dairy animal, forming a first parameter representative of a change in the milk production of the identified dairy animal, wherein the change in milk production is a change per a predetermined unit of time, providing a first threshold value, and switching from the first lactation phase to the second lactation phase, wherein the switching occurs once the first parameter reaches the first threshold value.