History and establishment

The "Ile de France" results from a crossing begun into 1832 from the Dishley reproducers (English race) and ewes merino from Rambouillet which will be fixed in the years 1890. It had a strong establishment in the cereal plains around the capital from where its name, because it allows a good valorization of under agricultural produce (beet pulps...).

Currently, the race "Ile de France" east presents on the 5 continents. It is in all the cattle-breeding areas and mainly France in Picardy, Champagne the Ardennes, Burgundy and in the Center. It is exploited as well in pure race as in crossing. The French livestock is estimated at 240 000 females. Today, there are 10 000 ewes in selection for 50 selectors.

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                                            Characteristics of the race:

The race has of many qualities:

1 = > Very good conformation:

Currently, the effort is put to have animals with meat without however neglecting the gauge of the animals. The stockbreeders are paid according to the conformation of the carcasses in butchery. The lambs are cut down at the 3-4 month age for an average weight of carcass of 21 kg.

2 = > Speed of high growth:

The lambs profit from the dairy value of the mothers with average profits daily high (cf table).

3 = > A good prolificity: 

The "Ile de  France" has a good rate of prolificity in the neighbourhoods of 180%, which makes it possible to combine a good value laitiere and a good conformation, and to be one of the only pure races, which combine all its qualities.

4 = > Aptitude for desaisonnement and flexibility of breeding: 

The race adapts well to the various climates and the various modes of breeding: sheep-fold, semi sheep-fold and full air. It dessaisonne well, i.e. that it takes the ram all the year, and in particular of against season (spring, summer) of the other races. This makes it possible to be able to plan its lambing at one hollow period in an exploitation, to develop labour. Moreover, that makes it possible to make an accelerated control: 3 lambings in 2 years. It is thanks to this invaluable quality that can be born from the lambs all the year. 

5 = > A wool of quality:

Of share its origin of the merino, the race preserved its qualities of race at wool. The ewes produce between 3 and 4 kg of wool per annum, the rams between 4 and 6 kg, for a wool smoothness of 25 with 30µ. 

All its added qualities make  race "Ile de France" the ones of the most competitive races on all the levels of the die (of the stockbreeder to the consumer). Moreover, this race is used also much in crossing of other races thanks to its maternal qualities to meat.