received by the International Bureau on 30 January 2017 (30.01.2017)

1. A method of identifying bovine animals with improved milk production traits comprising:

assaying the lineage of said bovine animal upon characteristics of mastitis, metritis, and ketosis incidence in one or more ancestors of said animal;

selecting an animal with a favorable combination of the same as a parent animal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said parental animal is a cow.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said parental animal is a sire.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein both parental animals are selected. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said mastitis, metritis and ketosis incidence data is collected for multiple animals from multiple locations.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said ancestors include thousands of animals. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said animal is ranked within the top 10% of animals.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said anima is ranked within the top 20% of animals.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said animal is ranked within the top 30% of animals.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said metritis, mastitis and ketosis incidence is assigned an estimated breeding value.

1 1. The method of claim 6 wherein said estimated breeding value is combined with estimated breeding values for other traits such as milk, fat, and protein yield, fat and protein percentage, productive life, and somatic cell scores to determine a favorable combination of the same.

12. A method of identifying a population of bovine comprising:

assaying the lineage of a cow or sire based upon characteristics of mastitis, metritis, and ketosis incidence in one or more ancestors of said cow or sire;

selecting a cow with a favorable combination of the same.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said parental animal is a cow.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said parental animal is a sire.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein both parental animals are selected.

16. The method of claim 12 wherin said animal is ranked within the top 10% of animals.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said anima is ranked within the top 20% of animals.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said animal is ranked winthin the top 30% of animals.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein said mastitis, metritis and ketosis incidence data is collected for multiple animals from multiple locations.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein said ancestors include thousands of animals.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein said metritis, mastitis and ketosis incidence is assigned an estimated breeding value.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said estimated breeding value is combined with estimated breeding values for other traits such as milk, fat, and protein yield, fat and protein percentage, productive life, and somatic cell scores to determine a favorable combination of the same.

23. The method of claim 3 wherein said estimated breeding value is combined with estimated breeding values for other traits such as milk, fat, and protein yield, fat and protein percentage, productive life, and somatic cell scores.

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24. A method for identifying cattle for use in a multiple ovulation and embryo transfer procedure (MOET), the method comprising:

selecting a female according to the method of claim 1, for use in collecting eggs from said female,

selecting a bull according to the method of claim 1 and for use in collecting semen for fertilizing a female animal.

25. A method for improving milk production for a population of dairy cattle comprising assaying the lineage of said cow animal for mastitis, metritis, and ketosis incidence in one or more ancestors of said animal;

selecting an animal with a favorable combination of lineage for milk production; and

removing animals from the population which do not have a favorable combination of the same wherein cows of said selected population demonstrate improved milk production and health, particularly during the transition period when compared to a population of cows where an animal has not been so selected.

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