Abstract: A front element for stalling an animal in a free stall, that is better suited than earlier devices to the morphology and movements of the animal to be contained, helping guide the animal when it is positioning itself, standing up and/or lying down in its free stall. Such a front element can be implemented in a pair in a front structure, in order to delimit the internal space I of said free stall.

Abstract: A limiting device (9) for limiting the freedom of movement of a standing cow in a lying box (1) in a loose house for keeping cattle, in a direction towards a front end (8) of the lying box. The limiting device (9) is intended to be placed near the front end, on and projecting from the bottom (11) of the lying box. At least one top part (13) of the limiting device is movable between a limiting position operatively projecting from the bottom for limiting the freedom of movement of the standing cow towards the front end of the lying box, and a releasing position, for leaving, for the purpose of the front legs of the cow lying down, at least a part of the space the limiting device occupies in the limiting position. A lying box and a loose house with such limiting device are also described.

Abstract: A cow indexing and positioning system comprising a first and second actuating systems where the first actuating system repositions a cow brisket bar assembly in the horizontal plane to index the cows located in a stall to be milked. When the cows are finished being milked the first actuating system then disengages from the cows' briskets and the second actuating system vertically raises the cow brisket bar assembly to allow the cows to pass thereunder.

Abstract: The cow training device has a bracket attached to the front cross-stanchion of the cow stall, over the neck of the cow. The bracket holds a rear pivotable arm, which has an outer free end adapted to be located spacedly over and proximate the cow's back. The bracket also holds a short selectively powered frontward rotatable whip, linked to a switch which is activated only if the rear arm is upwardly pivoted. If the cow is located at the front portion of its stall and it wants to evacuate, it will arch its back, which will come into upward abutment with the arm outer free end and upwardly pivot the arm. The switch will then be activated, and power will be supplied to the whip which will rotate to sting the cow's neck. To escape this treatment, the cow will normally back up in its stall reactively to position its hind portion over the rear stall gutter. Its arched back will then not abut on the arm outer free end, and the whip will stop rotating, thus relieving the cow of this whipping treatment.

Abstract: A washer apparatus (10) includes a washing chamber (W) with a plurality of spray nozzles (N) and a pump (P1) for circulating the washing fluid (F) through the spray nozzles (N) for cleaning the contents of the washing chamber (W). A pH sensor (20) contacts the washing fluid (F) and a digital pH controller (30) connected to the pH sensor (20) generates digital pH values of the fluid (F). An acid neutralizing system (80) and an alkaline neutralizing system (90) are provided for selectively injecting acid neutralizer and alkaline neutralizer into the reservoir (S, T), respectively. An electronic controller (12) controls the operation of the washer (10) and the acid and alkaline neutralizer injection systems (80, 90) in response to the pH of the washing fluid (F) as determined by the digital pH controller (30).