Did you know a chicken can survive even after getting beheaded? Sure, most of them survive for a few moments- but this hen lived for 18 months! Around seven decades ago, a farmer decapitated his chicken in Colorado. But surprisingly, the chicken didn’t die. The miraculous bird was then called Mike, and it became pretty famous. The bird survived for 18 months, but this led scientists to wonder about its survival. On the 10th of September, 1945, Lloyd Olsen and his wife were killing their farm animals in Colorado. Olsen had the job of decapitating them, while his wife cleaned them up. The couple would behead almost 50 chickens daily- but one didn’t get the memo. Troy Waters, the great-grandson of this couple, later informed, “They got down to the end and had one who was still alive, up, and walking around. ” The decapitated chicken ran around- but didn’t stop. Rigor mortis hadn’t set in. The headless runt was then placed in an apple box on the porch. When the couple woke up the next morning, it was still alive. Waters mentioned, “The damn thing was still alive. ” His wife, Christa Waters added, “It’s part of our weird family history. ”.
Troy himself heard the story from Lloyd when he was bedridden and lived with the former. “He took the chicken carcasses to town to sell them at the meat market. He brought this rooster with him. At that time, he still used the horse and wagon a lot. He put it in the wagon, brought the chicken inside, and began betting people beer or something that he had a live chicken without a head. ”.
That begs the question, though: how did it all happen? By the way, Lloyd tried to save the cockerel’s neck. [1] Apparently, his mother-in-law had come over, and she loved roast chicken neck. Being a dutiful son-in-law, Olsen did try to save a major part of the neck, but his ax then missed out on the jugular vein. In fact, Mike didn’t even have to lose out on an ear and his brain stem. According to Wayne J. Kuenzel, this miracle took place due to Mike’s skeletal shape. Since the skull of a cockerel does include two huge holes to protect the eyes, the brain fits snugly. This does mean that if one were to lop off the top bit, a major portion of the brain would survive. “Because the brain is at that angle, you still have the functional part that’s so critical for survival intact. ” To put it simply, Mike was able to perform all of his basic motor functions. How? Well, it was simply due to the positioning of his cerebellum. Read: Study Finds That Cows Talk To Each Other and Show Compassion Just Like Humans.
In 1945, a rather miraculous event occurred on a farm in Fruita, Colorado when a chicken named Mike lived for 18 months after having his head cut off. This bizarre tale has fascinated the public for decades, inevitably raising the question: was Mike the headless chicken in pain during his unbelievable survival? Let’s take a deeper look at this unique case and the potential sensations of our feathered friend.
The Shocking Story of Mike the Headless Chicken
Mike’s extraordinary story began when farmer Lloyd Olsen selected the 5-month-old Wyandotte chicken to be killed for supper. However the attempted beheading was botched leaving Mike without a head but still alive. Surprisingly, he was able to balance on his feet, clumsily walk around, and even attempt to crow and peck at food.
Olsen decided to take care of Mike and fed him milk and water through an eyedropper. It was later found that the axe had missed Mike’s jugular vein, and a blood clot stopped him from bleeding to death. Even though most of Mike’s head was gone, his brain stem and one ear were still there, so his body could still do basic things.
Mike soon gained national attention and went on tour with sideshows and freak shows, amazing crowds across America He was valued at $10,000 and earned $4,500 per month at the peak of his fame However, his miraculous life ended abruptly in 1947 when he choked to death in a motel.
Exploring Whether a Headless Chicken Feels Pain
Mike’s unbelievable survival story prompts the question: was he in pain living without a head? The answer is no – as mind-boggling as it sounds, Mike did not experience pain or suffering in his unique condition. Here’s a look at why:
-
In contrast to humans, chickens don’t have a single brain, but instead have nerve bundles called ganglia that are spread out throughout their bodies. This allowed Mike’s body to function even without his head.
-
Immediate shock – The trauma of decapitation caused an immediate neurogenic shock that likely prevented any pain response.
-
No sensory processing – Without his head, Mike could not process sensations like touch, taste, or smell that would be perceived as pain. Though he could react reflexively, he lacked awareness or feeling.
-
Limited consciousness – Mike’s consciousness resided primarily in his severed head. What remained in his body was extremely limited and not capable of experiencing pain.
Mike the Headless Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
Mike’s perplexing story has raised many questions over the years. Let’s explore some common areas of curiosity and speculation about this unique headless chicken:
How was Mike able to survive and function without a head?
Most of Mike’s brain stem remained intact after the attempted decapitation, allowing his basic bodily functions like breathing and heart rate to continue. His balance was aided by a secondary organ chickens have in their pelvic region.
How was Mike able to eat and drink?
Remarkably, Mike’s esophagus remained attached, allowing food and water to be dropped directly into his open neck using an eyedropper.
Could Mike see or otherwise sense the world around him?
No, Mike couldn’t see, hear, taste, smell, or touch without a head. He sometimes reacted without thinking, but he wasn’t aware of it.
Did Mike try to move around on his own?
Yes, Mike could walk, but it was hard for him because of his condition. He stumbled and fell all the time. He even tried vainly to preen his feathers.
Could Mike’s life have been prolonged with medical care?
No, his situation was not survivable long-term. The initial shock and lack of a head imposed a low survival ceiling regardless of any medical intervention.
Did Mike inspire any controversies?
Some modern animal welfare advocates have criticized the ethics of displaying and profiting from Mike’s condition by today’s standards. However, attitudes were different in the 1940s when Mike became famous.
Have there been other headless chickens that survived?
A few rare cases have been reported, but none lived as long or gained as much notoriety as Mike. He still holds the record for longest survival without a head.
Mike’s remarkable tale continues to captivate people while raising scientific interest in how specialized nervous systems enable extraordinary feats in some animals. His unique case expands our wonder at the anomalies of the natural world.
The Ongoing Fascination of Mike the Headless Chicken
Decades later, Mike’s home town of Fruita still honors his bizarre story each year with “Mike the Headless Chicken Day,” a festival held annually in May. His legacy even inspired a poultry-themed punk band called Radioactive Chicken Heads. Mike’s ability to survive and even thrive after a traumatic decapitation has cemented his place as one of the most astonishing oddities in history.
While Mike’s circumstances seem grisly and sensationalistic by today’s standards, his case offered surprising scientific insights. We learned that specialized nervous systems allow some animals to perform remarkably without higher brain functions. Mike’s story revealed the intriguing ability of nerve clusters to take over when the brain is damaged or absent.
Additionally, Mike compelled us to consider that an existence without higher consciousness or sentience may not necessarily be one of suffering. His headless persistence was more mechanical than experiential. While startling, his activities during those 18 months appear free of anguish.
Mike showed us that our preconceived notions about life, death, and consciousness may sometimes be wrong. He demonstrated that sentience and suffering are not clear cut concepts in the animal kingdom. His unconventional life provokes wonder at nature’s ability to adapt in unexpected ways.
So while Mike’s headless condition was unique, his story has universal fascination. All these years later, he still inspires curiosity, marvel, and speculation. Though his experience remains mysterious, the best available evidence indicates Mike did not suffer without his head. His astonishing life shows that, at least for some animals, consciousness and pain may be far more complex than we assumed.
Mike Was Just Too Stubborn To Give Up
Hilariously, Mike was completely unperturbed by his whole state. So much so that Olsen decided to take him on a tour around the country. The chicken even got its own feature in Life and Time Magazine. Other accolades followed- like the Guinness Book of Records. John Lloyd and John Mitchinson state, in their “The Book of General Ignorance”- “At the height of his fame, Mike was making $4,500 a month, and was valued at $10,000. [2] His success resulted in a wave of copycat chicken beheadings, though none of the unfortunate victims lived for more than a day or two. ” One has to assume that Mike had no clue about what was happening. After all, such a caricature can be quite offensive for many. Interestingly, they couldn’t find Mike’s head- Olsen’s cat ran away with it.
How did the tour begin? Not surprisingly, in a small village like Fruita, word spreads fast. Soon, Olsen found a sideshow promoter willing to finance him. Waters mentioned, “Back then in the 1940s, they had a small farm and were struggling. Lloyd said, ‘What the hell- we might as well. ’” The farmer and his headless cockerel first went to the University of Utah. There, the chicken was subjected to a multitude of tests. In fact, several scientists at the university even removed the heads of other chickens. This was all due to the idea of replicating the miracle. In 1947, the chicken finally died in Phoenix- almost two months after it lost its head. Waters mentioned, “That’s where it died- in Phoenix. ”Read: The microchip implants that let you pay with your hand.