Abstract: The invention regards an apparatus for performing an animal related operation like milking or grooming, where the animal (9) is confined in a stall (8). In order to protect animals and equipment, it is so arranged that any breaking of the functions activates an activable state, which retracts devices (21; 10) from the region of confinement before the apparatus is allowed to finally stop.

Abstract: For sensing presence of foremilk, in the separation of foremilk or for detecting incorrect premilking, the transparency of the milk to transmission of light therethrough is sensed by a sensor (4), and a control unit (12) which receives signals from the sensor operates a valve (7) so that foremilk is diverted to a waste container (10) whereas good quality milk passes to a storage container (3). The inverted peak in the transparency curve which is indicative of foremilk is detected and the control unit actuates the valve (7) to minimise loss of good quality milk with the foremilk.