For verification of the functionality of an animal identification system, especially of an animal identification system of a milking installation, whereby the animal identification system [has] at least one transponder which is suitable for and is designed for transmitting of signals which contain preferably at least the code of one individual animal, and with at least one piece of read-in equipment for receiving signals and preferably for recognition of codes, a method is proposed in which at least one characteristic quantity is determined from the signals received during an identification period and this characteristic quantity is compared with a target quantity.