An automatic milking arrangement and method in which milking locations (M) are accessible to individual animals, and apparatus for use in milking an animal is taken to a milking location by a freely-movable self-driven device (1) having a remote controlled guidance system to move and steer the device automatically. A retaining means, such as a barrier (81), is provided for automatically retaining an animal in a milking location during milking and for automatically releasing the animal after milking. A device (60) is provided for determining from the milk yielded whether the animal requires attention or should be inspected, the retaining barrier being controlled so that the animal is retained at the milking location and is not automatically released when it is determined that the animal requires attention or should be inspected, and the self-driven device and milking apparatus being movable away from the milking location when the animal is retained by the retaining barrier after milking. The milk quality can be determined at an analysing station (51) to which the milk is taken by the self-driven device.
