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ALL ABOUT MIKE
A True Story Of One Bird's Will To Live
The photos are from LIFE magazine Oct. 22, 1945

You think you've got it rough? "My boyfriend left me." "My car isn't running right." "I burned my toast." WELL AT LEAST YOU STILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!!!

I first heard the awe inspiring story of Mike on a cold winters evening after a long day work up in the North of Canada. "Brrr it's cold!" My grisled companion huffed behind the smoke from his pipe and said, "At least ya still got'cher head." The fire in the fireplace rose like it was agreeing with him and his good eye sparkled as he told me the story of Mike. Mike the headless Chicken.

September 10th, 1945 a spry five and a half month old Wyandotte rooster pecks for corn on the Olsen farm of Fruita, Colorado. Clara Olsen chose the pot that would cook the unsuspecting fowl. Husband Lloyd Olsen set out, hatchet in hand, to be-head the bird. That's when the plan went awry.

Lloyd positioned his ax carefully, estimating just the right tolerances, to leave a generous neck bone for his mother in law who was visiting and fancied the neck. "It was as important to Suck-Up to your Mother in Law in the 40's as it is today." A skillful blow was executed and the chicken staggered around like... a chicken... like a chicken with it's head cut off.

The determined bird shook off the traumatic event and did an outrageous thing. It lived. Mike (it is unclear when the famous rooster took on the name) returned to his job of being a chicken. Despite his lack of... head. He pecked for food and preened his feathers just like the rest of his barnyard buddies.

Lloyd Olsen found Mike the next morning, sleeping with his "head" under his wing. Lloyd shook his head at the site. (he shook his own head - Mike ignored this obvious slight) With great compassion the farmer decided if Mike had put this much effort in staying alive, then he would aid him in the effort. With an eyedropper Mike was given grain and water. It was becoming obvious that Mike was special. A week into Mike's new life Olsen packed him up and took him 250 miles to Salt Lake City.

This wasn't to be a special treat because of Mike's staying alive trick. Lloyd brought the bird and head to the University of Utah. Scientists determined that the ax blade had narrowly missed the jugular vein and a clot had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. While the head was firmly detached in a jar, most of Mike's brain stem and one ear was left on his body.

In an interview with Gayle Meyer Olsen said Mike was a "robust chicken - a fine specimen of a chicken except for not having a head." Others remembered - "he was a big fat chicken who didn't know he didn't have a head" - "he seemed as happy as any other chicken." Even now the town of Fruita celebrates Mike's impressive will to live, not the nature of his handicap.

Marvelous Mike oblivious of his unique nature set out on a national tour. City folk in New York, Atlantic City, Los Angeles, and San Diego lined up to pay 25 cents to see Mike. Insured for $10,000 his fame inspired millions in the pages of Life and Time Magazine and he shattered the Guinness World Record for "Chicken with the Least head" and "Longest lived chicken without a head" .

Sadly while returning from one of these road trips the Olsens stopped at a motel in the Arizona desert. In the middle of the night Mike began to choke. Unable to find the eyedropper used to clear Mike's open esophagus Miracle Mike passed away to the great barnyard in the sky where undoubtedly he was reunited with his long dead head.

Mike was able to remain quite healthy. In the 18 MONTHS that Mike lived as "The Headless Wonder Chicken" he grew from a petite 2 1/2 lbs. to almost 8 lbs. Remove the head and the body remains. Remove the body and the spirit lives on. Mike's spirit is celebrated the third weekend in May in Fruita, Colorado.

I'll never again complain about hangnails and sore throats. At least I have my head.