Today, I Learned About How Long Can A Chicken Survive Without ...

Have you ever wondered for how long the chicken would be able to live after having his head getting chopped off?

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The answer is: The chicken can live without its head for 18 months!

That's what happened to the famous Miracle Mike or Mike the Headless Chicken in 1945, in Colorado, USA. Mike was just little over 5 months old when his owner, farmer Lloyd Olsen, decided to turn him into a meal. Olsen stroke Mike's neck with an axe, beheading the chicken (the cat grabbed the head and took off), but the cut completely missed the jugular vain, one ear and left most of the brain stem intact. Because of this botched execution, Mike was able to keep his basic motor functions such as breathing, eating, walking, heart beat and even ability to balance itself on the perch - all these functions are controlled by the brain stem.

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His former executioner owner took care of headless Mike and kept looking after him and feeding him with an eyedropper. He even took him to the University of Utah for an examination to finally debunk the accusations of hoax. After the facts were established and accusations debunked by the scientists, Olsen started touring with Mike around the country. In the peak of popularity, Mike The Headless Chicken shows earned up to $4,500 a month which amounts to $47,800 nowadays. Sadly, one day, poor Mike when left alone in motel room choked to death trying to eat a corn kernel. Olsen left his eyedropper back at the show, so he was not able to save the celebrity.

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Today, I learned!

Other sources used but not included under hyperlinks:

"Useless Information - Mike The Headless Chicken".

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-logic