Ouessant sheep
The Ouessant, known as Eusa in Breton or Ushant in English, is a very small heritage sheep from the island of Ouessant off Brittany, France. It has a naturally short tail, which makes it a Northern European short-tailed breed. It is sometimes called the Breton Dwarf and is considered by many to be the smallest naturally occurring sheep in the world.
Mature size: rams about 49 cm tall at the shoulder; ewes about 45 cm. The breed can be solid black, white, or brown (moorit). Rams have two large horns, while ewes are usually hornless.
Originally, the Ouessant lived only on its home island. Now it is found across Europe, with breed societies in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and the UK. It is also growing in popularity in the United States and New Zealand.
The Ouessant is mainly kept for wool, and ewes typically have one lamb at a time.
In Paris, a small herd is used to graze city lands, including vineyards and orchards.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 10:55 (CET).