Method and arrangement for animal management

An arrangement for animal management in a milking system which includes a milking box provided with a milking apparatus for milking animals, an enclosed waiting area from which the animals are capable of entering the milking box, and a gate arrangement provided with an animal identification device, in which each of the animals is allowed to enter and pass said waiting area if the animal, after having been identified, fulfills a criterion, said arrangement comprising:

• a clock device provided for measuring a time related to a time an animal waits in said waiting area before being milked;
• a processing device provided for determining a ranking for said animal based on said time related to the time the animal waits in said waiting area before being milked, said ranking being a measure of a hierarchic order of the animal among the animals milked in the milking system;
• and
• a device provided for performing an action with regard to said milking system depending on said determined ranking,
• wherein the ranking of said animal is determined so that a higher value of said time related to the time the animal waits in said waiting area before being milked corresponds to a lower hierarchic order,
• and a lower value of said time related to the time the animal waits in said waiting area before being milked corresponds to a higher hierarchic order.

An arrangement for animal management in a milking system which includes a milking box provided with a milking apparatus for milking animals, an enclosed waiting area from which the animals are capable of entering the milking box, and a gate arrangement provided with an animal identification device, in which each of the animals is allowed to enter and pass said waiting area if the animal, after having been identified, fulfills a criterion, said arrangement comprising:

• a clock device provided for measuring a time related to a time an animal waits in said waiting area before being milked;
• a processing device provided for determining a ranking for said animal based on said time related to the time the animal waits in said waiting area before being milked, said ranking being a measure of a hierarchic order of the animal among the animals milked in the milking system;
• and
• a device provided for performing an action with regard to said milking system depending on said determined ranking, wherein
• said device provided for performing the action with regard to said milking system includes said gate arrangement, and
• said gate arrangement is provided for adjusting, for said animal or for at least some other animals, the criterion for entering said waiting area.

A method for animal management in a milking system which includes a milking box provided with a milking apparatus for milking animals, an enclosed waiting area from which the animals are capable of entering the milking box, and a gate arrangement provided with an animal identification device, in which each of the animals is allowed to enter and pass said waiting area if the animal, after having been identified, fulfills a milking criterion, said method omprising:

• when an animal is identified by the identification device, corresponding to a computer which holds or is provided to retrieve information, determining whether said animal has a low hierarchic order among the animals milked in the milking system, and whether said animal fulfills a milking criterion;
• allowing said animal to enter said waiting area if the animal fulfills the milking criterion but not a low hierarchic order;
• and
• guiding the animal past said waiting area to said milking box in order to milk the animal before milking any animals waiting in said waiting area if the animal fulfills the milking criterion and has a low hierarchic order,
• wherein guiding of the animal past said waiting area to said milking box is performed in a passage way, which is narrow to prevent animals from passing each other therein.

An arrangement for animal management in a milking system which includes a milking box provided with a milking apparatus for milking animals, an enclosed waiting area from which the animals are capable of entering the milking box, and a gate arrangement provided with an animal identification device, in which each of the animals is allowed to enter and pass said waiting area if the animal, after having been identified, fulfills a milking criterion, said arrangement comprising:

• a computer, when an animal is identified by the identification device, configured to hold or retrieve information so as to determine whether said animal has a low hierarchic order among the animals milked in the milking system, and whether said animal fulfills a milking criterion;
• and
• a passage way provided with a gate arrangement to guide the animal past said waiting area to said milking box in order to milk the animal before milking any animals waiting in said waiting area if the animal fulfills the milking criterion and has a low hierarchic order,
• wherein said passage way is narrow to prevent animals from passing each other therein.