Patent ID: 6981466

Claim:
A method of milking an animal comprising the steps of directing milk collected from the udder of the animal into a metering chamber which is repeatedly filled and emptied during the milking procedure, checking at least one of the quality and the composition of the milk collected in the metering chamber, and counting the number of filling and emptying cycles of the metering chamber, characterised in that during each of at least several cycles of filling and emptying the metering chamber (1) the specific number of the cycle is recorded to thereby identify the stage in the course of milking during which the cycle has occurred, and (2) the quality or composition of the milk is checked by removing a milk sample from the metering chamber for analysis or by sensing and recording at least one property of the milk in the metering chamber, wherein the sensed and recorded property comprises at least one of electrical conductivity, a light absorption characteristic or temperature.