Mike the Headless Chicken
Wyandotte | |
| Sex | Male |
|---|---|
| Hatched | April 20, 1945 Fruita, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | March 17, 1947 (aged 23 months) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Choked to death |
| Owner | Lloyd Olsen |
| Appearance | Sideshows |
Mike the Headless Chicken (April 20, 1945 – March 17, 1947)
Beheading
On September 10, 1945, farmer Lloyd Olsen of
Despite Olsen's attempt to behead Mike, the chicken was still able to balance on a perch and walk clumsily. It attempted to preen, peck for food, and crow, though with limited success; his "crowing" consisted of a gurgling sound made in his throat.[2] When Mike did not die, Olsen decided to care for the bird. He fed it a mixture of milk and water via an eyedropper, and gave it small grains of corn and worms.[2][5]
Fame
Once his fame had been established, Mike began a career of touring sideshows in the company of such other anomalies as a two-headed baby. It was also photographed for dozens of magazines and papers, and was featured in Time and Life magazines.[2] Mike was put on display to the public for an admission cost of 25 cents (equivalent to $3 in 2023). At the height of his popularity, the chicken's owner earned $4,500 per month (equivalent to $61,400 in 2023);[6] Mike was valued at $10,000 (equivalent to $136,500 in 2023).[2]
Death
In March 1947, at a motel in Phoenix, Arizona on a stopover while traveling back from tour, Mike started choking in the middle of the night. It had managed to get a kernel of corn in his throat. The Olsens had inadvertently left their feeding and cleaning syringes at the sideshow the day before, and so were unable to save Mike. Olsen claimed that he had sold the bird off, resulting in stories of Mike still touring the country as late as 1949. Other sources say that the chicken's severed trachea could not properly take in enough air to be able to breathe, and he therefore choked to death in the motel.[7]
Explanation of the case
It was determined that the axe had missed the
Legacy
Mike the Headless Chicken is a cultural institution in Fruita, Colorado, with an annual "Mike the Headless Chicken Day", the third weekend of May since 1999. Events held include the "5K Run Like a Headless Chicken Race",
Mike the Headless Chicken was an inspiration for the poultry-themed comedy punk band
See also
References
- ^ "Mike's Story". Mike the Headless Chicken. 2007. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-307-40551-7. Archivedfrom the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^ "The Rooster". Time Inc. October 29, 1945. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
- ^ Vaughan, Don. "How Mike the Chicken Survived Without a Head". www.britannica.com. Britannica. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "The chicken that lived for 18 months without a head". BBC News Online. September 10, 2015. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7167-5227-1. Archivedfrom the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- S2CID 1922751. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^ Daley, Monica A. (June 27–30, 2017). Principles of bipedal locomotion: Sensorimotor and mechanical integration for stability and agility (PDF). The 8th International Symposium on Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines. Hokkaido University, Sapporo: AMAM. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^ "Mike the Headless Chicken Day". salon.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
- ^ "The Radioactive Chicken Heads - "Headless Mike"". Funny or Die. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
Bibliography
- Reiter, Amy (1999). "Mike the Headless Chicken more popular than Clinton". Salon. Archived from the original on November 14, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
- Furneaux, Charles; Diefenbach, Gregory; Lewis, Mark (2001). The Natural History of the Chicken (Video). PBS Home Video. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
- Silverman, Steve (2001). Einstein's Refrigerator: And Other Stories from the Flip Side of History. Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 0-7407-1419-8.