Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided for monitoring an animal and having a controller. According to a first aspect of the apparatus and method, the controller has a sensor adapted to sense a movement rate of the animal and to establish a value of the movement rate regarding the animal. According to a second aspect of the apparatus and method, the controller includes a sensor provided to allow establishment of the existence of the breath of the animal, and a heart rate calculation device for establishing a value of the breathing rate regarding the animal.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided for controlling the position of an animal in a space (1) having a floor in order to facilitate the performance of an animal-related action. The floor comprises at least one primary floor portion (10), at which it is desirable that the animal stands during the performance, and at least one secondary floor portion (11), at which it is desirable that the animal does not stand during the performance. The apparatus comprises an activatable device (14) provided to enable a wobbling movement of the secondary floor portion (11) upon activation.

Abstract: An animal stall in which an animal is presented for milking with the udder and teats moved forward from the position when the animal stands normally to a position improving access for milking including a forward floor part fixable higher than a rear, entry, floor part whereby the animal adopts a posture other than that of the animal on a level floor.

Abstract: An arrangement for the automatic application of milking apparatus to a milk animal including a milking apparatus store, a milking apparatus handling device including a milking apparatus carrier movable on the device and a teat sensor on the handling device together with at least one animal position sensor and a control unit responsive to the animal and teat sensor to operate the handling device, the arrangement being such that when an animal is sensed to be in milking position the control unit operates the handling device to take milking apparatus for a teat of the animal from the store in the carrier to a specific teat with the carrier moved to a sideways offset at a selected angle to the device and the teat sensor in range of the teat.

Abstract: An animal stall in which an animal is presented for milking with the udder and teats moved forward from the position when the animal stands normally to a position improving access for milking including a forward floor part fixable higher than a rear, entry, floor part whereby the animal adopts a posture other than that of the animal on a level floor.

Abstract: An arrangement to apply a milking apparatus to the udder of an animal at a milking point including a store for the apparatus, a handling device having an elongate arm to support and move the apparatus between an apparatus acquisition point and the milking point, a stall to define a specific space for an animal to be milked fixedly related to the acquisition point and the milking point, including guides to retain loosely in the space an animal to be milked, sensors to sense retained animal position with respect to the fixedly related space and points and provide a first signal indicative of sensed animal position, pneumatic elements in the device to swing and to longitudinally displace the elongate arm to move and position the elongate arm and any supported apparatus, and control circuitry to control the pneumatic elements to operate the arm to acquire milking apparatus at a position forward of the teats of a retained animal, the control circuitry being responsive to the first signal to move the acquired appar