Dottie, a Barnevelder we had several years ago, was our all time favorite chicken. Each spring she would raise a few clutches of chicks. One spring a Northern Harrier hawk grabbed one of Dottie’s month old babies and started to fly off with it. Dottie was having none of that and went airborne to rescue her baby. She was a fantastic mother! Not only was she amazing with her chicks, but she was also wonderful with our family. It was common for her to squat as we neared her, which indicated that she was willing for us to pick her up, and it was perfectly normal to see one of our kids carrying her around. While Dottie was a decent layer, she was a wonderful all-around bird. We recommend every flock have at least one Dottie (Barnevelder).