Abstract:
In a method of automatically feeding and milking animals which are allowed to visit individually a milking parlor provided with a milking robot and a feeding station as well as a separate feeding stall provided with a further feeding station, an animal visiting the milking parlor is identified and the current value of an individual milking parameter for the animal is determined, on the basis of which current value there is decided whether or not the animal will be milked and fed during milking. When visiting the separate feeding stall, an animal is identified and the current value of the individual milking parameter for the animal is determined as well, while, on the basis of said current value there is decided whether or not the animal will be fed. In this manner it is achieved that the animals, while visiting the milking robot sufficiently often, are also enabled to eat enough feed/concentrate.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a device and method for the milking of dairy animals (9), comprising individual identifiers (11) attachable to each individual diary animal (9); simple feeding station (3′-3″″), provided with food dispenser (4) for dispensing fodder and sensor (15) for sensing the individual identifiers (11); combined feeding and milking stations (5′, 5″), provided with food dispensers (6) for dispensing fodder, milking apparatus (7) for milking animals (9) and sensors (15) for sensing the individual identifiers (11); and control device (8, 19) for controlling the simple feeding stations (3′, 3″″) and combined feeding and milking stations (5′, 5″), wherein the control device (8, 19) comprises determining apparatus (19) for determining a time for the next milking of said individual animal (9); and output apparatus (21) for commanding the single feeding stations (3′,3″″) to stop dispensing food to the individual animal (9) if the actual time is after the time for the next milking of the animal (9).