Abstract Electrical conductivity (EC) of milk is defined as an indicator of the udder health. The EC is a low cost and easy recordable information in dairy herds with automatic milking systems. The heritability of EC showed to be higher than somatic cell count and for this reason might be an useful trait for indirect selection for mastitis resistance. The heritability for EC in Italian Brown cattle was equal to 0.23. Therefore, EC could be useful not only for dairy cows management but also for selection of dairy cows. The high correlation between breeding values for SCC and EC is promising in order for improving mastitis resistance and functional ability of dairy cows.
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