The Accident That Started It All
On September 10, 1945, a farmer from the town of Fruita (Colorado) named Lloyd Olsen was sent by his wife to fetch a chicken to enjoy a dinner with his mother-in-law. The candidate was a five-month-old Wyandotte rooster named Mike. It was expected that Mike's "processing" would be normal; however, Olsen missed the chop, and only cut off part of the head. By avoiding the jugular vein and keeping the brain stem intact, Mike managed to recover from the wound and live technically decapitated for 18 months.
It seems like a hoax, a trick designed to separate people from their money at fairs and circuses. P.T. Barnum and his human curiosities would have made a real feast presenting a show based on a decapitated chicken, but all this happened more than half a century later after Barnum's death: a Colorado farmer like any other, ready to dine with his wife and mother-in-law, picks a young and healthy rooster, cuts off its head... and the creature doesn't die.
A rather interesting detail about "Mike the Headless Chicken" is that no one tried to kill him immediately with the excuse that he was cursed or possessed. The available information suggests that Olsen failed in his maneuver to satisfy his mother-in-law, who preferred the chicken's neck on her plate. But nothing changed in Mike's routine: he tried to continue his cleaning, his pecking on the floor looking for food, and his crowing, although now it was a simple "gluglú" from his throat.
Olsen waited for Mike to die from his wounds, but when he found him sleeping the next morning, the farmer respected his will to live and began to feed him with the help of an eyedropper, milk, water, corn kernels, and processed worms. A week later, Olsen decided to find out what was happening with Mike and traveled more than 400 kilometers to visit the University of Utah. At first no one believed him, but his evidence was more than convincing. The university scientists determined that Mike survived thanks to three factors: Olsen did not cut the jugular vein, the brain stem (responsible for most of the rooster's reflexes) remained intact, and a clot prevented hemorrhage.
A Star Is Born
Mike grew and became stronger, as expected of any well-fed rooster, and in the following months developed his career as a star. His national tour took him through Long Beach, Phoenix, and part of the southeastern United States, with thousands of visitors paying 25 cents to see "Mike, the Wonder Headless Chicken". At the height of his popularity, the Olsens and Mike managed to raise $4,500 a month (more than $60,000 adjusted for inflation). Mike's price was set at $10,000.
The Tragic End
However, the story ends with a tragic accident. Returning from the show, the Olsens stopped at a motel in Phoenix. During the night, Mike showed signs of choking. One version suggests that a corn kernel got stuck in his throat. Another, that the animal's trachea could no longer receive enough air to allow breathing. In reality, Mike used to choke on his own mucus, and needed assistance every time that happened. Olsen and his promoter always had a syringe ready to clean his throat, but they forgot it at the venue. Although they managed to obtain a similar device, it was too late. Mike died on March 17, 1947... and spent 18 months without a head.
Legacy and Remembrance
Many rumors surrounded his death, but the real cause became known in the '80s, when Olsen told the truth to his grandson. Despite his surprising end, Mike became a local legend. The community of Fruita celebrates every year (since 1999) its "Mike the Headless Chicken Day", during the last weekend of May. He also served as inspiration for the punk band Radioactive Chicken Heads, with a song called "Headless Mike".
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