‘Mike the Headless Chicken (April 1945 – March 1947) was a chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been mostly cut off. Thought by many to be a hoax, the bird was taken by his owner to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City to establish its authenticity.’
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Thank you to La Boite Verte
wow that’s absolutely horrendous. I don’t know if to be sad or glad. It definitely weird.
If this is true I am sickened by the person responsible, humans can be truly disgusting in their treatment of animals.
How absolutely sickening and cruel. What is the matter with these people?
Rosa:
Lighten up! This happened in the 40s. The bird in case had his head chopped off, but they missed much of his brain stem, which controls the respiratory system. Thus, he continued to live, being fed by syringe down his puke-hole.
Check: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken
I enjoy weird and wonderful stories from the archives.
Great photos too!
Sam
Very interesting! I agree, Sam, its merely a strange anomaly, and not a statement on chicken rights.
Are you kidding me? The chicken had it’s head cut-off, it doesn’t know it’s rights are being violated. I can guarantee it was gunna be supper that night until it got up and started walking around. You weirdos should be happy they didn’t kill the thing. 2 years is quite a long life span for what should have been dinner. Heck, I bet it was none the wiser.
I’ve heard of Mike the Headless Chicken, but I’ve never seen pictures until now. It sure looks weird, that’s for sure. Poor thing.
Sure this is disturbing but after reading the wiki story I find all the folks who tried to copy this feat the real issue.
People keep saying how cruel. If I human had it’s head removed and it lived without machines, just help with feedings, I hope we would test to see how it would survive.
The chicken walks around with the others and does not look in serious pain. Yes it would have hurt at the time of removal, but we don’t murder people because they are in pain.
Oddity for ignorant and inhuman people…
@Erin
we actually do murder people for being in pain, ie, removing people off life support or the old “well, they weren’t going to make it anyway so we’ll just put them out of their pain”
but I digress, either way,the story is very very interesting, and scientifically speaking very attention grabbing. But like Jim said, I’m just worried about all the people that tried to recreate this same scenario that is what hurts me.
I’ m interested if he felt pain or not!
I don’t know if he could have felt pain or not, but from the pics it doesn’t look like slowed him down too much. I’d guess that he didn’t if the pain receptors in his brain came off with his head. Looks like he was well cared for afterward. Was his partial decapitation the result of trying to butcher him gone bad, or some other farm accident?
@ chuckles: let’s HOPE his pain receptors came off with his head! it does look like he’s enjoying a mindless life!
I’m gonna go try this !
In a bizzare way I like how the owner kept its head.