The Ouessant Breed
History of the Breed
The Isle of Ouessant, off the coast of Brittany, is swept by the full force of Atlantic weather, and its hardy sheep adapted to survive in all weathers on poor grazing.
The Fleece
Ouessants may be Black, Brown or White, with some variation of these basic colours and have a thick fleece of long wool with a dense undercoat.
Ouessant Sheep
Ouessant sheep are intelligent, inquisitive, and renowned for their character, hardiness and for their status as the smallest naturally occurring breed of sheep in the world.
Owning Ouessants
Ouessants - tiny sheep with huge characters - are the ideal choice for first-time sheep-keepers. Their small size and friendly temperament make them very easy to handle. Many owners in the UK use them to keep the grass down in paddocks or orchards without the damage caused by larger animals. And their size also makes them suitable for smaller areas; subject to the quality of the grazing.
The Society maintains a register of all pedigree Ouessant sheep in the UK. Members of the Society may advertise sheep for sale and hire in the online flock book and in the Marketplace section of this website. The Society makes no guarantees but strongly recommends that prospective buyers use the Marketplace. When buying elsewhere they are advised to check the vendor is a member of the Society and that the sheep is a registered Ouessant, with a valid registration certificate.