Why does my hen wake up and pant when I hold it to sleep??

[santas_little_helper]

I have a hen at home, and almost every day I pick her up and lay down with her, wrap a towel around her head, darken it, and put her to sleep (only for naps) I do it because it calms me down and she's my pet chicken. After that She looks like shes sleeping but after about five minutes, she lifts her head up, looks around , starts panting with its mouth open. Why does she do that? She doesn't do that except when I do that or laying egg

 

[Debbie292d]

I'd just shut the lights off. Chickens cluck on and off when it's daytime, but usually not at night. She must know when you're putting the towel on her, it's not nighttime.

 

[Perris]

I have a hen at home, and almost every day I pick her up and lay down with her, wrap a towel around her head, darken it, and put her to sleep (only for naps) I do it because it calms me down and she's my pet chicken. After that She looks like shes sleeping but after about five minutes, she lifts her head up, looks around , starts panting with its mouth open. Why does she do that?

It sounds like you are suffocating her; she is panting to get some air.
Chickens do not breathe like we do - they have air sacs instead and they do not inflate and deflate like our lungs.

If you want a toy get a doll. Don't treat a living animal like a toy.

 

[Cheekychook12]

If she’s panting she’s probably too hot or stressed out

 

[RoyalChick]

Sounds like she is either panicking or suffocating from the towel.

 

[LaFleche]

I have a hen at home, and almost every day I pick her up and lay down with her, wrap a towel around her head, darken it, and put her to sleep (only for naps) I do it because it calms me down and she's my pet chicken. After that She looks like shes sleeping but after about five minutes, she lifts her head up, looks around , starts panting with its mouth open. Why does she do that? She doesn't do that except when I do that or laying egg

Is she the only chicken or do you keep more outside the house?

Chickens do best in a flock with their own kind.
Wrapping them up in a towel should only be done for a few minutes time while tending to injuries or similar.
They cannot breathe properly and get way too hot wrapped in a towel.

Chickens do a great job as therapy animals as watching them scratching and exploring, chattering to each orher while they go about their chicken day can be very soothing, but they need to be outside where they belong, not wrapped up like a burrito to serve as a cuddle toy.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Shes probably struggling to breathe.
Why do you need to put the towl around her head? It's probably stressing her out.

 

[RubelliteRose]

Between your body heat and the towel, she is too warm. I have a hen who loves to hop on my lap and place her head under my arm. During the winter, she can stay until one of us(usually me) wants to get up. As the weather warms up, I have to watch her and either move my arm away or make her get off when she starts panting due to the heat. The warmer the day, the sooner she begins to pant.

 

[Bawkbok]

Please don't put a towel on her anymore. You may end up killing her. You are expecting your chicken to give you something it may not be able to provide in the manner you would like. Chickens by nature aren't cuddlers.
A therapy dog might be a better option than a chicken as dogs prefer the human touch and love the companionship. There are numerous dog breeds that are conducive to making wonderful therapy pets.