By Burnett Munthali
In the year 1945, a family in the United States owned a small farm, but their business was struggling.
Clara and Lloyd Olsen, the couple who managed the farm, were facing difficult times as their poultry business was not doing well.
One day, Lloyd decided to slaughter one of their chickens, which they had named Mike, for food.
He swung the axe and chopped off Mike’s head, expecting the bird to die instantly.
To Lloyd’s surprise, although the head was gone, Mike continued running around the yard as if nothing had happened.
Lloyd left the bird on the ground, assuming it would eventually die from the wound.
After some time, he returned—only to find Mike still alive and moving about.
Amazed by the bird’s resilience, Lloyd decided to keep Mike alive and began to care for him.
He told his friends at the bar about the strange survival of Mike the headless chicken, and soon, the story began to spread.
Curious neighbors and villagers started visiting the farm to witness the miracle chicken that had survived decapitation.
Lloyd and Clara started feeding Mike by inserting food and water directly into his throat using a syringe.
Eventually, the story attracted national attention, and journalists from major newspapers visited to take pictures and write about Mike.
Seeing the rising public interest, Lloyd began charging a fee for people who came to view the headless chicken.
The once-struggling poultry venture turned into a profitable business, all thanks to Mike.
Unfortunately, after 18 months, Mike died when a piece of corn accidentally blocked his throat during feeding.
Experts later concluded that Mike had survived so long because the jugular vein and part of the brain stem were still intact, allowing his body to continue functioning.
Additionally, the blood had clotted quickly after the beheading, preventing him from bleeding to death.
Today, Mike the headless chicken remains a global curiosity, and his legacy lives on in the Guinness Book of Records as the only chicken known to have survived for 18 months without a head.
