An adaptive milking system comprises a milk meter, a controller, and a detacher. The milk meter measures a flow rate of milking an animal during a first period of time, and continues to monitor the flow rate of milking the animal. The controller is communicatively coupled to the milk meter and calculates a percentage of the measured flow rate. The controller triggers a delay timer when the monitored flow rate of milking the animal becomes lower than the larger of (a) a default threshold flow rate and (b) the calculated percentage of the measured flow rate. The detacher is communicatively coupled to the controller and removes a milking unit from the animal when the delay timer reaches a threshold time.