Farm animals that sound like vowels not seen in this puzzle? NYT crossword clue

The answer to the clue “Farm animals that sound like vowels not seen in this puzzle?” is **ewes**.

“Ewes” are female sheep commonly found on farms. This clue uses a clever bit of wordplay: the word “ewes” is pronounced like “you’s” (or the vowel “U”), and it’s hinting at vowels that are missing from the puzzle. In this case, the vowel “U” — along with possibly “O” — is absent, and the answer humorously reflects that absence through a homophone. It’s a classic example of a phonetic pun embedded in a crossword clue.