Diversity of production systems and specific socio-economic barriers are key reasons explaining why the implementation of new technologies in small ruminants, despite being needed and beneficial for farmers, is harder than in other livestock species. There are, however, helpful peculiarities where small ruminants are concerned: the compulsory use of electronic identification created a unique scenario in Europe in which all small ruminant breeding stock became searchable by appropriate sensing solutions, and the largest small ruminant population in the world is located in Asia, close to the areas producing new technologies. Notwithstanding, only a few research initiatives and literature reviews have addressed the development of new technologies in small ruminants. This Research Reflection focuses on small ruminants (with emphasis on dairy goats and sheep) and reviews in a non-exhaustive way the basic concepts, the currently available sensor solutions and the structure and elements needed for the implementation of sensor-based husbandry decision support. Finally, some examples of results obtained using several sensor solutions adapted from large animals or newly developed for small ruminants are discussed. Significant room for improvement is recognized and a large number of multiple-sensor solutions are expected to be developed in the relatively near future.

中文翻译：

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用于改善小型反刍动物性能、健康和福祉的传感解决方案

生产系统的多样性和特定的社会经济障碍是解释为什么在小型反刍动物中实施新技术的关键原因，尽管对农民来说是必要的和有益的，但比其他牲畜物种更难。然而，小反刍动物有一些有用的特性：强制使用电子识别在欧洲创造了一个独特的场景，所有小反刍动物种群都可以通过适当的传感解决方案进行搜索，并且世界上最大的小反刍动物种群位于在亚洲，靠近生产新技术的地区。尽管如此，只有少数研究计划和文献综述涉及在小型反刍动物中开发新技术。本研究反思侧重于小型反刍动物（重点关注奶山羊和绵羊），并以非详尽的方式回顾了基本概念、当前可用的传感器解决方案以及实施基于传感器的畜牧业决策支持所需的结构和要素。最后，讨论了使用适用于大型动物或新开发的小型反刍动物的几种传感器解决方案获得的结果的一些示例。人们认识到有很大的改进空间，预计在不久的将来会开发出大量的多传感器解决方案。讨论了使用从大型动物改编或针对小型反刍动物新开发的几种传感器解决方案获得的一些结果示例。人们认识到有很大的改进空间，预计在不久的将来会开发出大量的多传感器解决方案。讨论了使用从大型动物改编或针对小型反刍动物新开发的几种传感器解决方案获得的一些结果示例。人们认识到有很大的改进空间，预计在不久的将来会开发出大量的多传感器解决方案。