The Breed

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.

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.

Buying Ouessants

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 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. The latest ads are below - to see all ads

VISIT THE MARKETPLACE

Society Codes of Conduct for the Marketplace

Only registered or birth-notified Ouessant sheep may be offfered for sale or hire.

Sellers Should:

Include the OSS number, height and presence or absence of wattles for all sheep
Declare any known faults in breeding ability, conformation, temperament and ancestry.
Not knowingly sell line bred, or inbred, stock or related male/female pairs without declaring them as such.
Ensure the sheep is in good health, with all routine husbandry completed, and provide the purchaser with proper records of the sheep’s medical history and last worming and vaccination dates.
Provide a printed copy of the OSS Registration Certificate to accompany every sale of a registered sheep. Provide the OSS number of the sire when selling a ewe in lamb.
Notify as soon as possible the transfer of the sheep, and the details of the purchaser, in the online flock book or to the Registrar via email.
Be honest and truthful in all matters relating to the sheep being offered for sale.

Buyers Should:

Check the pedigree and kinship of sheep on their certificates or in the online flock book before buying.
Check the sheep’s conformation against the breed standard.
Check the health and condition of the sheep, as best you are able.
Ensure that each sheep is accompanied by a hard copy of its registration certificate, and that you receive details of its medical history.
Physically check the ear tag number of each sheep against the number recorded on the registration certificate and movement documentation.
Ensure that all sheep bought are transferred to your ownership in the OSS Flock Book.

Breed Standard

The UK Breed Standard was based originally on the French breed society's (GEMO's) standard and was last updated in 2020. Notes on its interpretation are under development.

FEATURE	DESCRIPTION
HEAD	Fine and regular, the rams are horned; the bridge of the nose and forehead should form a continuous line. A slight bridge to the nose in the ram, flat or very slightly bridged in the ewe, not concave.
EYES	Bright and lively look, a prominent orbit to the eye.
EARS	Fine, small, short, mobile, rounded at the tip and have a tendency to be carried pricked.
HORNS	Dark for the blacks and browns, light for the whites, triangular in section, strong, curled in a single spiral, of large amplitude, a good distance from the head.
NECK	Full and rounded, without dewlap. Toggles or wattles are permitted but not desirable.
TRUNK	Withers not prominent, deep chest.
BACK	A level top line from the withers to the base of the tail.
RUMP	Wide.
TAIL	Short, above the hocks.
LEGS	Slender, of medium length, well proportioned, good pasterns. Hooves dark for the black and browns, light or dark for the whites
HEIGHT	MAXIMUM Adult Ram 49cm Adult Ewe 46cm	OPTIMUM Adult Ram 42-48cm Yearling Ram 40-46cm Adult Ewe 40-45cm Yearling Ewe 38-44cm
BODY COLOUR	Solid uniform colours are black, brown and white. In each colour a range of variation is allowed: - in whites: a red base to a white fleece giving a light reddish aspect appearing mostly on the head, legs or the tail is acceptable. - in white lambs: red or tan marks on the neck, legs and tail, sometimes covering the body are acceptable; marks usually diminish with age, but do not always disappear completely. - black lambs may be lightly marked with white on the forehead (poll spot); marks usually diminish with age. - colour changes due to bleaching, genetic dilution (fading) and age-greying are acceptable. - in adults limited spotting is permitted but not desirable. One or two spots on the body and/or the fleece may be tolerated up to 1” (2.5cm) in diameter (50p piece)*
FLEECE	Present on the forehead, and partly on the cheeks. Covering all the body, descending at least to the knees and just to the hocks. Fleece of primitive type, semi-closed, and well-packed, a staple of 8 -10cms for 12 months growth. Average thickness 25-28 microns. Rams may develop a collar or mane of longer coarser hair on the throat and nape of neck, which may be darker than fleece.
CARRIAGE	Alert and nimble with a smart active gait

Reasons for Disqualification

Over height
Overdeveloped legs, poor pasterns, poor hooves.
Horns too asymmetrical, too frail, too tight or too wide apart.
Absence of horns in rams. Presence of horns in ewes (Note: tiny hornbuds, without any bony plate, are not considered a fault).
Tail too long, ears too large, nose arched in the ewe, too arched in the ram.
Non uniform, piebald colours.
Excessive colour spotting*
Tail docking is not allowed
Single births are a characteristic of the breed. Although not grounds for disqualification, twin births are exceptional and undesirable.

*The acceptance of limited spotting was agreed at the 2020 AGM following the inclusion of a similar clause in the 2019 French standard, on which the UK standard is based. It is now understood that the French amendment may be reversed and that it is unlikely that spotting will be permitted in a proposed Europe-wide standard. The Society has therefore temporarily suspended any registrations of sheep that display spotting (other than poll spots) pending review by the Breed Standard Committee, who will make recommendations to the 2022 AGM. For more information or advice please contact the Registrar at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Notes on the Interpretation of the Breed Standard for Breeders and Judges

To follow - this section is being developed and will be available to members in 2021

The Ouessant Breed

History of the Breed

The Fleece

Ouessant Sheep

Owning Ouessants

Keeping Ouessants

Buying Ouessants