Ouessant

Ouessant sheep, also called Ushant or Breton dwarf sheep, are a very small heritage breed from Ile d'Ouessant off the coast of Brittany, France. Centuries of island conditions produced compact animals that could survive on sparse grazing, salt wind, and rough weather. Mature ewes are tiny compared with most domestic sheep, while rams carry prominent curved horns; ewes are usually polled. Black is the traditional color, but white, grey, brown, and other accepted colors occur in modern flocks. Their wool is fine enough for handspinners, though the breed is now often kept for conservation grazing and small-acreage flocks.

Their size makes Ouessants attractive to hobby keepers, but they are still sheep that need companions, fencing, hoof care, parasite control, and yearly shearing. Fences must be tight at the bottom because lambs and small adults can slip through gaps meant for larger breeds. Ewes usually lamb without much intervention, but the tiny lambs need dry shelter and close observation in cold rain. Serious breeders track height, horn shape, color, and island-type proportions, since crossing to ordinary small sheep can quickly change the character of the breed.

Colors: Badgerface, Black, Blackbelly, Broken, Brown, Gray, Grey, Gulmoget, Katmoget, Moorit, Piebald, Red, Roan, Silver, Solid, Spotted, Tan, White, White with Black Points, White with Brown Points