Heritability of Teat Condition in Italian Holstein Friesian and Its Relationship with Milk Production and Somatic Cell Score

摘要

Mammary infections in dairy cattle are still a major problem which impair animal health and jeopardize breeders’ efforts to attain sustainable production. The first natural protection against pathogens ‘access to udder tissue is the teat canal. Teat canal morphology can be influenced by several environmental factors but the present study confirmed the existence of a genetic component. Moreover it was observed that the teat canal morphology is related to milk production and somatic cell count, the latter being an indirect indicator of mammary infections. Considering that the current selection objectives implemented in dairy cattle worldwide have shifted toward a more balanced breeding goal, with a larger emphasis on health traits, a further genetic deterioration in teat condition is not expected.