Abstract: An apparatus for delivering milking teat cups to a dairy cow having a housing 1, an extender arm 3, a holster 4, teat cups 5, cords 8, and rollers 14. The arm 3 carries the holster 4 and cups 5 between stowed and extended positions. Each cord 8 is engaged with a respective one of the rollers 14, is connected to a respective one of the cups 5, extends to the holster, and can be drawn in by movement of the respective roller 14. Each roller 14 allows its cord 8 to extend sufficiently to enable the teat cup connected to that cord to be removed from the holster and engaged with a cow's teat for milking. Further, each roller 14 is adapted to draw-in its cord to pull the associated cup 5 to a docking position on the holster.

Abstract: In one aspect the invention is a milking platform (1) for a species of animal to be milked, comprising a deck divided into a series of bales (17), each bale having side and end barriers and being of sufficient size to receive only one animal (5) for milking. Each has a structure (2) (e.g. a box) arranged such that when the platform is in use with the animal to be milked the structure (2) extends upwards from the deck to a height below the animal's abdomen, is between the forelegs of the animal, starts in front of the forelegs and extends towards, but stops before, the hind legs of the animal such that there is sufficient space to fit a set of milking cups to teats of the animal.