It was here that life magazine came to marvel over the story of miracle mike the headless chicken as he had by now been branded by hope. Aug 11, 2014 mike the headless chicken lived for 18 months without a noggin after a farmer, in a failed attempt at slaughter, axed off his head and missed the jugular vein. Miracle mike was eyedroppered a milk and water mixture until he met his unexpected death over a year later when he choked on a kernel of corn. Mike the headless chicken sculpture fruita, colorado atlas. On september 10, 1945 lloyd was sent out to the yard by his wife to get dinner. The articles legitimate reference was a broken link to the guinness book of world records. Heres how mike the chicken lived for 18 months without a head. At nearly 100 pages, this book is an excellent source and is well worth reading. Mike the headless chicken will leave you asking what the. This festival is dedicated to the amazing story of one chickens will to live. Mike the headless chicken confessions of a funeral director. In a gayle meyer interview olsen said mike was a robust chicken a fine specimen of a chicken except for not having a head. Mike the headless chicken festival fruita, co postponed.
The idiom running around like a chicken with its head cut off is commonly used, alluding to the fact that the body of a chicken whose head has been cut off often frantically flounders about before succumbing to its fate. Mike not only lived on for another eighteen months, but also went on to a healthy 8lbs from an initial 2lbs. Fifty years after mikes mournful demise, his hometown of fruita, colorado celebrated the inaugural mike the headless chicken daycomplete with chicken bingo, an egg toss, and, of course, chicken dinner in the park. A rooster named mike lived for 18 months after losing his head in. The chicken that lived for 18 months without a head bbc news. If anyone ever said you were running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Clara olsen was planning on featuring the plump chicken in the evening. On september 10, 1945, lloyd olsenthe owner of the farmand his wife, clara, decided it was time for mike to become a part of someones dinner, so he beheaded the animal. Lloyd picked a chicken and swung the axe down, chopping the its head clean off. The headless bird, dubbed mike, appeared in life magazine and traveled. He had picked mike, a five and a half month old cock. Olsen continued feeding mike with an eyedropper for 18 months. Events such as a 5k run, disc golf tournament, wing and peep eating contests, live music, delicious food and artisan booths make this a weekend to remember. On may 17, 1999, mike s hometown of fruita held the first mike the headless chicken day in honor of one of its most famous citizens.
Fruitas mike the headless chicken festival is a smashing success, and a new mike sculpture i made him proudlooking and cocky, the artist says was recently unveiled downtown. I first heard about mike while reading bill geists book about his travels. Thought by many to be a hoax, the birds owner took him to the university of utah in salt lake city to establish the facts of the story. Meet miracle mike, the colorado chicken who lived for 18. Happy 63rd birthday to mike the headless chicken boing boing. Thought by many to be a hoax that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off, the birds owner took him to the university of utah in salt lake city and proved that it existed. Indeed, searching for headless chicken mike didnt turn up many results. Some of the events included the 5k run like a headless chicken race, egg tosses, pin the head on the chicken, the chicken cluckoff, and the classic chicken dance. In the 1940s the dead didnt just walk, they also clucked. The axe missed his jugular vein, leaving part of an ear and most of the brain stem intact.
Fruita, colorado the city of fruita continues to respond proactively. How did mike the headless chicken eat, breathe, and survive. A chicken s brain stem is in the top of their neck. The story of mike the headless chicken is one that falls into the category of you couldnt make it up. Mike became the headless chicken on september 10 th, 1945 after being decapitated by his owner, lloyd olsen from fruita, colorado, who wanted to cook him for dinner. The unbelievable story of mike the headless chicken. Nov 01, 2012 from april 1945 to march 1947, michael the headless chicken, also known as miracle mike, was a wyandotte chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been mostly cut off. Tales of headless chickens and the unexpected lives they led. Americans could finally have a chicken in every pot. The weird part was, while that story was playing on the portable dvd player, i was reading a book about weird stories, and right when the story was on the tv i was reading it. Jul 10, 2017 names miracle mike, this chicken was able to live without a head for 18 months. Nov 15, 2014 mike the headless chicken was famous for living without a head for over 18 months.
You better believe it since this one of a kind rooster lived headless for two years and became worldfamous. Dec 06, 2016 t he fame reached by the headless chicken led him to make a long tour of theaters, sets and local fairs that paid their good sums for exhibiting the animal. At 25 cents per peek, he brought his owners a lot of money. Mike the headless chicken april 20, 1945 march 17, 1947, also known as miracle mike. History city of fruita colorado mike the headless chicken. In the 18 months that mike lived as the headless wonder chicken he grew from a mere 2 12 lbs. Mike the headless rooster ripleys believe it or not. The official mike the headless chicken book teri thomas on.
Aug 26, 2014 only the face and frontal section of the headbrain were removed. More interesting facts about mike, the headless chicken. Aug, 2011 in the 18 months that mike lived as the headless wonder chicken he grew from a mere 2 12 lbs. Discover mike the headless chicken sculpture in fruita, colorado. Mikes owner then took him on a nationwide tour showing off the wonder chicken with the amazing will to survive. A routine chicken beheading at lloyd olsens farm became so much more. In the 18 months that mike lived as the headless wonder chickenhe grew from a mere 2 12 lbs. Aug 24, 2019 the headless bird, dubbed mike, appeared in life magazine and traveled to exhibitions around the country. Hence, was born the ordeal and legend of a headless rooster. According to mike the chicken, losing your head is not that bad as its thought to be. The true story of mike the headless chicken scienceblogs.
Mike the headless chicken april 1945 march 1947, also known as miracle mike, was a former cryptid. Mike the headless chicken april 20, 1945 march 17, 1947, also known as miracle mike, was a wyandotte chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off. Fruitas mike the headless chicken festival is a smashing success, and a. Feb 16, 2018 mike the headless chicken, also known as miracle mike, was a fivemonthold male who lived a happy life on a farm in fruita, colorado. After the initial tour, the olsens took mike the headless chicken to phoenix, arizona, where disaster struck in the spring of 1947. In an interview, olsen said mike was a robust chicken a fine specimen of a chicken except for not having a head. Heres why a chicken can live without its head modern farmer. Mike the headless chicken backyard chickens learn how to. A rooster named mike lived for 18 months after losing his head in 1945 at a farm in fruita, colorado. But once in 1945, when a fivemonthold rooster, today remembered as miracle mike the headless chicken, was laid on the chopping block, ready to become someones dinner, the chicken, surprisingly.
Stay tuned planning is underway for mike the headless chicken 2020 on may 29 and 30 in downtown fruita. Sep 26, 2014 meet miracle mike, the chicken who lived for 18 months without his head. May 21, 2012 miracle mike the headless chicken april 1945 march 1947 was owned by farmer lloyd olsen of fruita, colorado. Miracle mike took on a manager, and with the olsens in tow, set out on a national tour. Photo courtesy of if anyone ever said you were running around like a chicken with its head cut off. The unsuspecting bird had never looked so delicious as he did that, now famous, day. Be sure to come to my festival, and check out my website at. Miracle mike the headless chicken, as he came to be known, toured the country for 18 months after that fateful night. Also known as miracle mike, mike the headless chicken was a plump, fiveyearold cockerel when he was unceremoniously beheaded on 10 september 1945. Miracle mike the headless chicken april 1945 march 1947 was owned by farmer lloyd olsen of fruita, colorado.
Mike lived for 18 months after his head was chopped off. It would be easy to walk past this unusual piece of art and have no idea it pays tribute to the odd life of a real chicken. Delete unless someone can turn up some legitimate evidence. It would be easy to walk past this unusual piece of art and have no idea it pays tribute to the. Four excellent photographs of mike are featured in the october 22, 1945 issue of. Mike the headless chicken day will feature a 5k run like a headless chicken race, egg tosses, chicken jokes, a chicken lunch and chicken bingo, in which numbers are chosen by where chicken droppings fall on a numbered grid. Mike s fame faded out after he finally died from choking on a corn kernel, but now headless mike is in for a revival of sorts. Chicken had head chopped off and lived for 2 years. After loosing its head, mike not only kept growing in size, but he toured the united states as the wonder chicken. Mike the headless chicken festival fruita, co may 29th. Events such as a 5k run, disc golf tournament, wing and peep eating contests, live music, delicious food and artisa. Mike the headless chicken lived 18 months without a head. Sep 10, 2015 the chicken that lived for 18 months without a head. What had happened is his owner, lloyd, was sent out by his wife to retrieve a chicken to eat.
A fruita farmer named lloyd olsen cut off mikes head on september 10. Purely by freakish accident of the nature mikes half of the brain stem and one ear remained intact. Mike the headless chicken festival fruita, co postponed until further notice. Although the story was thought by many to be a hoax, the birds owner took him to the university of utah in salt lake city to establish the facts. Mike the headless chicken sculpture fruita, colorado. One of the stories was about mike the headless chicken. The olsens and mike the headless chicken enjoyed attention from thousands, national magazine recognition, and even a guinness world record. The headless chicken was featured in time magazine and life, as well as the guinness book of records. Fourplus years later, mike s life came to an end when a corn kernel.