Milking arrangement and a method of milking animals therein

A method of milking a group of at least two animals in a milking arrangement that comprises

• at least one milking module comprising:
• at least two milking places arranged side by side after each other along a longitudinal axis, each milking place being configured to receive a respective animal to be milked,
• a primary end and a secondary end opposite to the primary end, wherein the milking arrangement extends along the longitudinal axis from the primary end to the secondary end,
• a front side and a rear side, the front side and the rear side both extending in parallel with the longitudinal axis,
• a front gate assembly located at the front side and movable between i) a lower position in which the front gate assembly closes the front side to prevent the animals from leaving the respective milking place through the front side, and ii) an upper position, configured to permit the animals to leave the respective milking place through the front side,
• a sequence gate assembly comprising at least two sequence gates provided between said front side and said rear side, wherein each of said at least two sequence gates, in a first positon of the sequence gate assembly, is pivotable between a closed position, in which each sequence gate defines a barrier against entrance into one of the at least two milking places, and an open position in which each sequence gate forms a side wall of the one milking place, and
• an entrance gate provided in the primary end of the milking module, said entrance gate being movable between a closed position in which the entrance gate prevents animals from entering said at least one milking module and an open position in which the entrance gate allows animals to enter the milking module through the primary end;
• an independent first drive device for moving the front gate assembly between the lower and upper positions;
• a second drive device for moving the entrance gate between the open and closed positions;
• an independent third drive device for moving the sequence gate assembly from said first position to a second position, which second position is an elevated position in which the at least two sequence gates are located at a level above and behind the animals standing in the respective milking places, wherein the sequence gate assembly is configured to move from said second position to the first position with the at least two sequence gates in their closed position such that the at least two sequence gates urge the animals standing in their respective milking places to move towards the front side and to leave the milking places through the front side;
• and
• a control arrangement which is configured to control the opening of the entrance gate on basis of the position of the sequence gate assembly, said method comprising steps of:
• performing milking of the animals standing in the milking places of the milking arrangement, wherein, during said milking, the front gate assembly is in the lower position and the entrance gate is in the closed position,
• deciding or detecting when the milking is finished and, as a response thereto:
• control the first drive device to move the front gate assembly from the lower position to the upper position,
• control the third drive device to move the sequence gate assembly from the second position to the first position thereby urging the milked animals to leave their milking places through the front side of the milking arrangement, and, when the sequence gate assembly has reached the first position, control the second drive device to move the entrance gate from the closed position to the open position and thereby permitting further animals to be milked to enter the milking arrangement in a direction from the primary end to the secondary end through a path between the sequence gate assembly and the rear side of the milking arrangement.