Sheep Farming in France: Breeds, Lambing and Flock Management

Sheep farming in France runs along two main lines: meat flocks, which raise lambs for slaughter, and dairy flocks, whose ewe milk goes mainly into cheese such as Roquefort. A profitable French flock depends on a breed that fits the system, a lambing calendar planned around the market, a practical sheep barn and accurate records for every ewe.

French sheep farms are very diverse: large dairy flocks in the south, suckler flocks on lowland grass or in the mountains, and small farms selling directly to consumers. Whatever the size, the farmer faces the same questions: when to lamb, what to feed, how to protect the flock and how to know whether the enterprise really makes money.

Meat flocks and dairy flocks: two different jobs

Meat (suckler) flocks aim to produce as many weaned and finished lambs per ewe per year as possible. Income depends on prolificacy, lamb survival, growth and the sale price. Systems range from fully outdoors to fully housed, and many finish their lambs indoors.

Dairy flocks milk the ewes after a short suckling period. Ewe milk is rich and highly valued for cheese: Roquefort, for example, is made from the milk of Lacaune ewes. Dairy sheep need a milking parlour, strict hygiene and daily attention to production.

Many farms mix both logics, selling lambs from the dairy flock, or selling meat and cheese directly from the farm.

The main French sheep breeds

Breed choice follows the system, the climate and the market:

France also has many local breeds adapted to mountains and grassland areas. In suckler flocks, hardy or prolific ewes are often mated to a meat-breed ram to improve lamb conformation. Our guide on choosing a breeding ram explains what to look for.

Lambing seasons and the flock calendar

The natural breeding season of ewes in France is mainly late summer and autumn, with lambs born in spring. Many farmers shift this calendar:

• Spring lambing follows the natural rhythm and uses grass; it suits grassland systems.
• Autumn or winter lambing lets you sell lambs when supply is lower, or start milking at the right time in dairy flocks. It needs a well-equipped barn and indoor feeding.
• Several lambing periods a year: some farms split ewes into groups to spread work and sales; others use accelerated lambing, 3 lambings in 2 years.

Gestation lasts about 147 days. Whatever the calendar, prepare ewes before mating (body condition, feeding) and organise lambing: lambing pens, night checks, colostrum and tagging lambs from birth. Our lambing season checklist covers the details.

Housing, grazing, transhumance and predators

The sheep barn (bergerie) should be dry and well ventilated without draughts, with separate groups: pregnant ewes, ewes with lambs, fattening lambs, rams and an isolation pen. A handling race and a scale make weighing, treatments and sorting much easier.

Grazing remains the base of many suckler systems. Well-managed rotational grazing makes good use of grass and lowers worm pressure; worming should be planned with your vet, ideally based on faecal egg counts.

Transhumance is part of French sheep tradition, especially in Provence, the Alps and the Pyrenees: flocks move up to summer mountain pastures and come back down in autumn. It requires good shepherding and careful tracking of which animals leave and which return.

Predation by wolves, and by bears in some mountain areas, is a real concern in several regions. Common protection measures include livestock guardian dogs, electric fencing and gathering the flock at night. Ask your local authorities about the measures in place and what to do after an attack.

Identification and the flock register

In France, sheep must be identified under official rules (approved ear tags, with electronic identification for most animals), births and movements must be recorded, and the farmer keeps a flock register. The exact details, such as deadlines, number of tags and movement notification, are set by regulation and can change, so check them with the identification body in your département.

Beyond compliance, this data is valuable: it links every lamb to its dam, shows which ewes underperform and traces each treatment. See what to record on a sheep farm for a practical list.

Managing profit ewe by ewe

The profit drivers of a sheep enterprise are well known:

1. Lambs sold per ewe per year, combining fertility, prolificacy and survival.
2. Lamb growth, followed with regular weighing.
3. Feed cost, especially bought concentrates and forage.
4. Milk yield per ewe, for dairy flocks.
5. Culling unproductive ewes, based on numbers rather than impressions.

In practice everything starts with one record per animal. On the Throf platform, each ewe has its own record (tag number and colour, RFID supported, breed, dam, weight), with matings, lambings and twins, weights, milk records, health alerts and cost per head. The app works in French, English and Arabic on phone, laptop and tablet, and each team member gets their own permissions. Learn more on the Throf France page.