Other names: Dishley Merino.

Origin: France.

The Île-de-France is a breed of sheep native to the French region of Île-de-France near Paris. It was first developed at a French veterinary college in the 1830s through crosses of Dishley Leicester and Rambouillet and was originally known as the Dishley Merino. A breed association was formed in 1933, and it was rigorously tested early on its breeding for meat characteristics and maternal qualities.

Today the Île-de-France is one of the top meat breeds worldwide and is present in South Africa, Australia and the Americas as well as in Europe. It is primarily used as a terminal sire but is also occasionally found as a dairy breed in the United States. It’s a large, naturally polled breed with white fleece.