Abstract: A robot milking device includes a milking site, an animal identification device, robot milking means, a feeding device for providing feed to the dairy animal during the milking based on a feed allowance, and a controller for the robot milking system and for updating feed allowance. The method includes selecting a future time period, determining a free capacity C of the robot milking system, determining a sub-group of the dairy animals for which the controller may continue to provide feed after the milking, milking and feeding the dairy animals which visit the milking system, and additionally feeding a dairy animal from the sub-group depending on the determined free capacity C, if the dairy animal still has a feed allowance for milking.

Abstract: A method for milking and managing a herd of dairy animals by at least attributing an insemination suitability status, the method includes, for each dairy animal, milking the dairy animal by means of a milking device, with a controller. By means of the controller, using a measuring device, determining at least one parameter value PVi related to the milking. By means of the controller, calculating an index value V of the dairy animal with respect to the herd of dairy animals on the basis of PVi and an average parameter value PVhi for the herd of dairy animals, which index value V indicates a value ranking order in the herd, and if the index value of the dairy animal fulfils a predefined criterion, automatically by means of the controller attributing to the dairy animal the insemination suitability status “inseminate no longer”.

Abstract: A method for milking a dairy animal with a robot milking device including a teat position determination system and a controller. The method includes allowing the robot milking device, with the help of the teat position determination system, to make one or more connection attempts for connecting at least one milking cup to a teat of the dairy animal, and milking with all connected milking cups where the controller records a number of failed connection attempts. The number of failed connection attempts #MA in a predefined number of milkings, which number of milkings is at least equal to a predefined number #MB, fulfils a predefined criterion, automatically adapting the milking criterion by means of the controller.

Abstract: A method for monitoring oestrus of a cattle animal, for example a cow. The method includes: a) collecting activity data of the animal, b) computing a current activity level based on the activity data, c) deciding whether to generate an oestrus attention signal by comparing at least one current activity level to a corresponding baseline activity level. The computing b) further includes b1) detecting travelling movements of the animal and b2) correcting the baseline activity level for detected travelling movements.

Abstract: Monitoring activity of an animal in a system for housing freely moving animals including a plurality of animal ID stations, includes the steps of a) recording a first visit of said animal at a first of said animal ID stations, b) recording a subsequent second visit of said animal at a second of said animal ID stations, and c) determining a distance covered by said animal as the distance between said first animal ID station at said first visit and said second animal ID station at said second visit. With such simple means, parts of which are already present in e.g. most robot dairy stables, important information about activity of animals can easily be gathered.

Abstract: A method to determine a body condition score of an animal including: providing a three-dimensional camera system configured and arranged to record at least one three-dimensional image of the animal, and an image processing device to process the image; recording at least one three-dimensional image of the animal; processing the image. The processing the image includes: forming a three-dimensional surface representation of a part of the animal from the three-dimensional image recorded by the three-dimensional camera system; determining, in the image, reference points of the animal, at least including hook bone points and pin bone points of the animal; selecting a surface part of the animal representative for a body condition of the animal using the reference points; analyzing a first parameter representative for a body condition of the animal of the selected surface part; and determining the body condition score based on the first parameter.

Abstract: A method to determine a body condition score of an animal including: providing a three-dimensional camera system configured and arranged to record at least one three-dimensional image of the animal, and an image processing device to process the image; recording at least one three-dimensional image of the animal; processing the image. The processing the image includes: forming a three-dimensional surface representation of a part of the animal from the three-dimensional image recorded by the three-dimensional camera system; determining, in the image, reference points of the animal, at least including hook bone points and pin bone points of the animal; selecting a surface part of the animal representative for a body condition of the animal using the reference points; analyzing a first parameter representative for a body condition of the animal of the selected surface part; and determining the body condition score based on the first parameter.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method to monitor growth of an animal, in particular a calf, the method including recording, by a three-dimensional camera system, at least one three-dimensional image of the animal, and processing, by a processing device, the at least one image of the animal, wherein processing of the image comprises the steps of: forming a three-dimensional surface representation of a surface part of the animal from the at least one image, determining a size parameter representative for the size of the animal on the basis of the surface representation, and determining a volume parameter representative for the volume of the animal, and monitoring the volume parameter and size parameter or a combination thereof to monitor growth of the animal.

Abstract: A method determining a position of an animal part in an animal space in at least one direction, including: obtaining a two-dimensional image containing depth information; preprocessing the image according to first and second preprocessing modes, to provide respective first and second preprocessed images; comparing the first preprocessed image and the second preprocessed image to obtain at least one image difference; if the at least one image difference is below or equal to a respective predetermined threshold, processing the first preprocessed image according to a first position determining mode, and if the at least one image difference is above the predetermined threshold, processing the second preprocessed image according to a second position determining mode, to provide the position of the animal part. If a fast but not very accurate processing mode, and a slower but more accurate mode, are available, the method can suitably select one of these modes.

Abstract: A method for estimating a greenhouse gas emission from a ruminant in a loose housing environment, and in a predetermined time period from T0 to Tdesired, the method including: determining a model emission rate function EM(t) for the ruminant determining the moments of eating feed by the ruminant, at least during the predetermined time period, as a series of points in time {T1, T2, T3, . . . , Tn} constructing the estimated real emission rate function ER(t) on the basis of the model emission rate function and the moments of eating feed, and integrating ER(t) from T0 to Tdesired. Also provided is a greenhouse gas emission estimation device, arranged to perform this method. In the device and method, use is made of the insight that knowing the eating moments can fine-tune calculations for establishing greenhouse gas emissions from the animals.

Abstract: A method for monitoring oestrus of a cattle animal, for example a cow. The method includes: a) collecting activity data of the animal, b) computing a current activity level based on the activity data, c) deciding whether to generate an oestrus attention signal by comparing at least one current activity level to a corresponding baseline activity level. The computing b) further includes b1) detecting travelling movements of the animal and b2) correcting the baseline activity level for detected travelling movements.

Abstract: A method determining a position of an animal part in an animal space in at least one direction, including: obtaining a two-dimensional image containing depth information; preprocessing the image according to first and second preprocessing modes, to provide respective first and second preprocessed images; comparing the first preprocessed image and the second preprocessed image to obtain at least one image difference; if the at least one image difference is below or equal to a respective predetermined threshold, processing the first preprocessed image according to a first position determining mode, and if the at least one image difference is above the predetermined threshold, processing the second preprocessed image according to a second position determining mode, to provide the position of the animal part. If a fast but not very accurate processing mode, and a slower but more accurate mode, are available, the method can suitably select one of these modes.

Abstract: A method for estimating a greenhouse gas emission from a ruminant in a loose housing environment, and in a predetermined time period from T0 to Tdesired, the method including: determining a model emission rate function EM(t) for the ruminant determining the moments of eating feed by the ruminant, at least during the predetermined time period, as a series of points in time {T1, T2, T3, . . . , Tn} constructing the estimated real emission rate function ER(t) on the basis of the model emission rate function and the moments of eating feed, and integrating ER(t) from T0 to Tdesired. Also provided is a greenhouse gas emission estimation device, arranged to perform this method. In the device and method, use is made of the insight that knowing the eating moments can fine-tune calculations for establishing greenhouse gas emissions from the animals.

Abstract: Monitoring activity of an animal in a system for housing freely moving animals including a plurality of animal ID stations, includes the steps of a) recording a first visit of said animal at a first of said animal ID stations, b) recording a subsequent second visit of said animal at a second of said animal ID stations, and c) determining a distance covered by said animal as the distance between said first animal ID station at said first visit and said second animal ID station at said second visit. With such simple means, parts of which are already present in e.g. most robot dairy stables, important information about activity of animals can easily be gathered.