This breed was developed in the 1830’s and was first registered in 1892. It is the dominant breed in France and was first imported into Canada in 1995. The Ile de France is a multi-purpose breed. As a terminal sire to produce hardy, fast growing lambs with excellent muscling. As a maternal line they work well for cross breeding with other prolific maternal breeds to create F1 hardy female replacements. Ile de France is known for longevity, easy keeping ability and out of season breeding capabilities. They have and average prolificacy of 180% and have excellent flocking instincts. Ile de France work well under pasture systems.