Here's some more sheep info for you. On the AGRICULTURAL 1880 census, out of 142 farms, 75 had 0 sheep, 28 had only 1, and 20 had only two. Other than HP Williams, there was only one farm owner with more than four. That farm had twelve sheep. So, with the exception of HP Williams, it's very clear that the woolen industry was of very little importance in Schaumburg Township. The minority of farms that kept sheep certainly would have sheered them, but such a small overall number suggests that they were being kept for meat rather than wool. Regarding the dog claims, its actually a fairly small number over that long time period. With regards to Wilhelm Meyer, it's my guess that they were probably killed right after lambing in the spring, the census was taken June and many spring and Easter lambs would have been eaten by then. Whatever the case Meyer has obviously increased his flock from the zero he reports in June of 1979. This was probably in response to a very short lived merino craze that was dead within a couple of years. Its interesting though and now I wonder. I still think overall ownership of sheep was very small, but at least some farmers did respond to a market trend and did purchase sheep in the early 1880s. By 1885 or so, those same sheep were worthless on the market. Pete ps.....I am in the process of getting and transcribing the ag census for our township..look for that in the future....It does include the names of farmers and what they had on their farms..not for all years but many. You will get the info on the list when available.