Method of automatically milking animals and a fully automatic milking machine suitable for performing same

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically milking animals which are allowed individually to visit a milking compartment associated with a milking robot for automatically milking animals therein. An animal visiting the milking compartment is milked by the milking robot only when, since it last visited the milking compartment, Q milkings of other animals in the milking compartment have occurred. Based on physiological characteristics, each animal is assigned a number x which indicates how often it should be milked per unit of time such as a day. Intervening milkings Q which must take place before the animal can be milked again is calculated as a function of the animal's corresponding number x. Physiological characteristics which determine x for each animal include its milk yield, its lactation period stage, its age, its movement activity, its feed consumption and its udder's health. The process is computer controlled and the minimum number of milkings Q required by other animals before the relevant animal is again milked is reduced by a factor of 0.5 to 1.0 to avoid numerous visits by animals to the milking compartment without being milked. When an animal is milked after more or less than Q/C milkings by other animals, the subsequent minimum number of milkings Q of other animals required before the animal is again milked is decreased or increased so that the animal approximates x milkings per unit time.