Dormer Sheep

Description

Dormer Sheep

The Ile-de-France breed of sheep, as the name states, is a French breed of domestic sheep. First developed at a veterinary college in the early 1830s in the Île-de-France region of France near Paris.

 Today, more than a century later, continuous and selective breeding has resulted in a breed prized for their large size. Meaty bodies and their pure white fleece.  The meat retains its distinctive lamb taste even as the sheep matures. The meat displays a delicate texture and attractive colour.

Mutton Merino Sheep

The Ile de France sheep breed also boasts a remarkable milk yield of between 180 and 495 litres of milk per lactation period. Making it possible to raise twins and even triplets without any difficulties. This, combined with their exceptional mothering abilities, results in a strong bond between the ewes and their lambs.

The Ile de France sheep plays a significant role in providing the South African market with quality lamb and is an overall testament to the importance of breeding for quality in the livestock industry, with the continued success of this breed in South Africa showcasing the industry’s dedication to delivering top-quality products to breeders and consumers alike.

After its development, it quickly became one of the most popular sheep breeds in France, and today it is highly regarded throughout the sheep industry globally. It

Dormer Sheep

Dormer Sheep for sale

This resulted in crossbreeding programs that led to the development of breeds such as the Dorper. Dormer, and Dohne Merino – much like that of the Ile De France 100 years before. Shortly after WWII, a few Ile De France rams were imported and used with great success on Merino ewes, the offspring of whom were sent to the Research Institution in Pretoria as a means of further researching the performance of these animals by measurement of the key economic traits. These animals showed exceptional performance in lambing percentage, milk production, survival potential, adaptation to unfavourable climatic conditions, and duration of the breeding season.