316:
330:
534:
242:
on a stopover while traveling back from tour, Mike started choking on his mucus in the middle of the night. 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
225:
magazines. 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); Mike was valued at $ 10,000 (equivalent to $ 136,500 in 2023).
201:, peck for food, and crow, though with limited success; his "crowing" consisted of a gurgling sound made in his throat. 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.
862:
40:
267:
and one ear were left on his body. Since basic functions (breathing, heart rate, etc.) as well as most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem, Mike was able to remain quite healthy. This is a good example of
280:, which controls walking locomotion virtually independently from the vestibular organ involved in flight. This has been used to explain how a headless chicken can walk and balance, despite the destruction of much of the cranial
292:
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",
868:
801:
304:, serving as the subject of their 2008 song "Headless Mike", for which a music video was filmed. The band also features a Headless Mike puppet which is frequently used in their live shows.
982:
687:"Specializations in the lumbosacral vertebral canal and spinal cord of birds: evidence of a function as a sense organ which is involved in the control of walking"
182:, was planning to eat supper with his mother-in-law and was sent out to the yard by his wife to bring back a chicken. Olsen chose a five-and-a-half-month-old
809:
930:
554:
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
514:
276:
functions to be carried out in the absence of higher brain centres. In addition, birds possess a secondary balance organ in the pelvic region, the
162:, United States, an annual "Mike the Headless Chicken Day" is held in May. Mike has the record for the longest surviving chicken without a head on
297:, "Pin the Head on the Chicken", the "Chicken Cluck-Off", and "Chicken Bingo", in which chicken droppings on a numbered grid choose the numbers.
213:
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
657:
448:
420:
962:
589:
779:
691:
663:
426:
893:
919:
574:
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
977:
301:
972:
967:
581:
561:
398:
621:
957:
952:
197:
Despite Olsen's attempt to behead Mike, the chicken could still balance on a perch and walk clumsily. It attempted to
367:
845:
269:
750:. The 8th International Symposium on Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines. Hokkaido University, Sapporo: AMAM
478:
343:
64:
504:
247:
could not properly take in enough air to be able to breathe, and he therefore choked to death in the motel.
412:
163:
987:
509:
243:
stories of Mike still touring the country as late as 1949. Other sources say that the chicken's severed
321:
744:
Principles of bipedal locomotion: Sensorimotor and mechanical integration for stability and agility
402:
77:
452:
716:
686:
769:
742:
572:
552:
924:
889:
708:
653:
416:
281:
277:
263:
had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. Although most of his head was severed, most of his
183:
147:
647:
700:
568:
548:
406:
239:
175:
159:
158:. After the loss of his head, Mike achieved national fame until his death in March 1947. In
110:
97:
934:
335:
221:
215:
17:
150:
that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off, surviving because most of his
914:
526:
39:
946:
300:
Mike the
Headless Chicken was an inspiration for the poultry-themed comedy punk band
179:
805:
720:
256:
187:
533:
273:
704:
311:
264:
191:
155:
151:
613:
774:
712:
910:
294:
210:
198:
886:
Einstein's
Refrigerator: And Other Stories from the Flip Side of History
837:
363:
244:
58:
209:
Once his fame had been established, Mike began a career of touring
235:
72:
186:
named Mike. The axe removed the bulk of the head, but missed the
260:
608:
606:
861:
Furneaux, Charles; Diefenbach, Gregory; Lewis, Mark (2001).
146:(April 20, 1945 – March 17, 1947) was a male
920:
Is It
Possible for a Chicken to Live with Its Head Cut Off?
646:
Lambert, Kelly; Kinsley, Craig; Kinsley, Craig H. (2004).
154:
remained intact and it did not bleed to death due to a
838:"Mike the Headless Chicken more popular than Clinton"
614:"The chicken that lived for 18 months without a head"
888:. Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing.
133:
125:
117:
104:
91:
83:
71:
57:
46:
802:"The Radioactive Chicken Heads - "Headless Mike""
27:Chicken who survived without a head (1945–1947)
479:"How Mike the Chicken Survived Without a Head"
255:It was determined that the axe had missed the
174:On September 10, 1945, farmer Lloyd Olsen of
8:
451:. Time Inc. October 29, 1945. Archived from
32:
38:
31:
641:
639:
867:(Video). PBS Home Video. Archived from
666:from the original on September 10, 2020
624:from the original on September 11, 2015
590:"Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–"
517:from the original on September 11, 2018
429:from the original on September 10, 2020
393:
391:
389:
387:
385:
355:
848:from the original on November 14, 2011
983:Individual birds in the United States
782:from the original on January 31, 2009
741:Daley, Monica A. (June 27–30, 2017).
588:Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
7:
472:
470:
692:Journal of Comparative Physiology A
366:. Mike the Headless Chicken. 2007.
864:The Natural History of the Chicken
513:. September 19, 1945. p. 17.
505:"Beheaded Chicken Calmly Lives On"
190:, leaving one ear and most of the
25:
370:from the original on May 26, 2012
652:. Worth Publishers. p. 84.
532:
328:
314:
770:"Mike the Headless Chicken Day"
108:March 17, 1947 (aged 23 months)
1:
911:Mike the Headless Chicken.org
408:The Book of General Ignorance
302:The Radioactive Chicken Heads
582:American Antiquarian Society
562:American Antiquarian Society
963:Animal world record holders
1004:
931:Mike the Headless Chicken
884:Silverman, Steve (2001).
705:10.1007/s00359-006-0105-x
144:Mike the Headless Chicken
37:
18:Mike the headless chicken
344:List of individual birds
270:central motor generators
65:Gallus gallus domesticus
251:Explanation of the case
620:. September 10, 2015.
164:Guinness World Records
978:Mesa County, Colorado
649:Clinical Neuroscience
510:The Salt Lake Tribune
836:Reiter, Amy (1999).
322:United States portal
234:In March 1947, at a
973:Individual chickens
968:Deaths from choking
685:Necker, R. (2006).
455:on January 31, 2009
118:Cause of death
34:
958:1947 animal deaths
953:1945 animal births
812:on August 20, 2016
483:www.britannica.com
925:The Straight Dope
659:978-0-7167-5227-1
422:978-0-307-40551-7
282:vestibular system
278:lumbosacral organ
184:Wyandotte chicken
148:Wyandotte chicken
141:
140:
16:(Redirected from
995:
899:
880:
878:
876:
857:
855:
853:
822:
821:
819:
817:
808:. Archived from
798:
792:
791:
789:
787:
766:
760:
759:
757:
755:
749:
738:
732:
731:
729:
727:
682:
676:
675:
673:
671:
643:
634:
633:
631:
629:
610:
601:
600:
598:
596:
585:
579:
565:
559:
544:
538:
537:
536:
530:
524:
522:
501:
495:
494:
492:
490:
474:
465:
464:
462:
460:
445:
439:
438:
436:
434:
415:. pp. 7–8.
399:Mitchinson, John
395:
380:
379:
377:
375:
360:
338:
333:
332:
331:
324:
319:
318:
317:
240:Phoenix, Arizona
176:Fruita, Colorado
160:Fruita, Colorado
111:Phoenix, Arizona
98:Fruita, Colorado
50:
42:
35:
21:
1003:
1002:
998:
997:
996:
994:
993:
992:
943:
942:
907:
902:
896:
883:
874:
872:
871:on July 1, 2014
860:
851:
849:
835:
831:
826:
825:
815:
813:
800:
799:
795:
785:
783:
768:
767:
763:
753:
751:
747:
740:
739:
735:
725:
723:
684:
683:
679:
669:
667:
660:
645:
644:
637:
627:
625:
618:BBC News Online
612:
611:
604:
594:
592:
587:
577:
569:McCusker, J. J.
567:
557:
549:McCusker, J. J.
547:
545:
541:
531:
520:
518:
503:
502:
498:
488:
486:
476:
475:
468:
458:
456:
447:
446:
442:
432:
430:
423:
397:
396:
383:
373:
371:
362:
361:
357:
352:
336:Colorado portal
334:
329:
327:
320:
315:
313:
310:
290:
272:enabling basic
253:
232:
207:
172:
121:Choked to death
109:
96:
48:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1001:
999:
991:
990:
985:
980:
975:
970:
965:
960:
955:
945:
944:
941:
940:
928:
917:
915:City of Fruita
906:
905:External links
903:
901:
900:
894:
881:
858:
832:
830:
827:
824:
823:
793:
761:
733:
699:(5): 439–448.
677:
658:
635:
602:
586:1800–present:
539:
527:Newspapers.com
496:
477:Vaughan, Don.
466:
440:
421:
381:
364:"Mike's Story"
354:
353:
351:
348:
347:
346:
340:
339:
325:
309:
306:
289:
286:
252:
249:
231:
228:
206:
203:
171:
168:
139:
138:
135:
131:
130:
127:
123:
122:
119:
115:
114:
106:
102:
101:
95:April 20, 1945
93:
89:
88:
85:
81:
80:
75:
69:
68:
61:
55:
54:
51:
44:
43:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1000:
989:
986:
984:
981:
979:
976:
974:
971:
969:
966:
964:
961:
959:
956:
954:
951:
950:
948:
939:
937:
932:
929:
927:
926:
921:
918:
916:
912:
909:
908:
904:
897:
895:0-7407-1419-8
891:
887:
882:
870:
866:
865:
859:
847:
843:
839:
834:
833:
828:
811:
807:
803:
797:
794:
781:
777:
776:
771:
765:
762:
754:September 10,
746:
745:
737:
734:
726:September 10,
722:
718:
714:
710:
706:
702:
698:
694:
693:
688:
681:
678:
665:
661:
655:
651:
650:
642:
640:
636:
628:September 12,
623:
619:
615:
609:
607:
603:
591:
583:
576:
575:
570:
563:
556:
555:
550:
543:
540:
535:
528:
521:September 10,
516:
512:
511:
506:
500:
497:
489:September 10,
484:
480:
473:
471:
467:
454:
450:
449:"The Rooster"
444:
441:
433:September 10,
428:
424:
418:
414:
410:
409:
404:
400:
394:
392:
390:
388:
386:
382:
369:
365:
359:
356:
349:
345:
342:
341:
337:
326:
323:
312:
307:
305:
303:
298:
296:
287:
285:
283:
279:
275:
271:
266:
262:
258:
250:
248:
246:
241:
237:
229:
227:
224:
223:
218:
217:
212:
204:
202:
200:
195:
193:
189:
185:
181:
180:United States
177:
169:
167:
165:
161:
157:
153:
149:
145:
136:
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
112:
107:
103:
99:
94:
90:
86:
82:
79:
76:
74:
70:
67:
66:
62:
60:
56:
52:
45:
41:
36:
30:
19:
988:Decapitation
935:
923:
885:
873:. Retrieved
869:the original
863:
850:. Retrieved
841:
829:Bibliography
814:. Retrieved
810:the original
806:Funny or Die
796:
784:. Retrieved
773:
764:
752:. Retrieved
743:
736:
724:. Retrieved
696:
690:
680:
668:. Retrieved
648:
626:. Retrieved
617:
595:February 29,
593:. Retrieved
573:
553:
542:
525:– via
519:. Retrieved
508:
499:
487:. Retrieved
485:. Britannica
482:
459:November 13,
457:. Retrieved
453:the original
443:
431:. Retrieved
407:
372:. Retrieved
358:
299:
291:
257:jugular vein
254:
233:
220:
214:
208:
196:
188:jugular vein
173:
143:
142:
63:
53:Miracle Mike
29:
875:October 11,
786:October 28,
670:October 12,
566:1700–1799:
546:1634–1699:
403:Lloyd, John
274:homeostatic
129:Lloyd Olsen
947:Categories
350:References
265:brain stem
192:brain stem
156:blood clot
152:brain stem
134:Appearance
775:salon.com
211:sideshows
170:Beheading
137:Sideshows
78:Wyandotte
938:magazine
852:March 8,
846:Archived
816:June 22,
780:Archived
713:16450117
664:Archived
622:Archived
571:(1992).
551:(1997).
515:Archived
427:Archived
405:(2007).
368:Archived
308:See also
295:egg toss
194:intact.
721:1922751
374:May 28,
245:trachea
92:Hatched
59:Species
49:name(s)
892:
719:
711:
656:
419:
288:Legacy
259:and a
113:, U.S.
100:, U.S.
47:Other
842:Salon
748:(PDF)
717:S2CID
578:(PDF)
558:(PDF)
413:Crown
236:motel
230:Death
199:preen
126:Owner
73:Breed
936:Life
890:ISBN
877:2013
854:2008
818:2016
788:2008
756:2020
728:2020
709:PMID
672:2016
654:ISBN
630:2015
597:2024
523:2018
491:2023
461:2008
435:2020
417:ISBN
376:2012
261:clot
222:Life
219:and
216:Time
205:Fame
105:Died
87:Male
33:Mike
933:at
922:at
913:at
701:doi
697:192
238:in
84:Sex
949::
844:.
840:.
804:.
778:.
772:.
715:.
707:.
695:.
689:.
662:.
638:^
616:.
605:^
580:.
560:.
507:.
481:.
469:^
425:.
411:.
401:;
384:^
284:.
178:,
166:.
898:.
879:.
856:.
820:.
790:.
758:.
730:.
703::
674:.
632:.
599:.
584:.
564:.
529:.
493:.
463:.
437:.
378:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
