When a chicken’s head is chopped off, the severed nerves send impulses to the muscles of the legs and wings, which can cause the remainder of the bird to run around in a flap.
Usually this lasts seconds, but in 1945 a US bird dubbed ‘Miracle Mike the Headless Chicken’ famously lived 18 months after its head was removed.
Soon a subject of national fascination, the unfortunate fowl was toured as a wonder of biology, all the while being fed via liquid food dropped into its oesophagus.
How did ‘Mike’ survive so long?
Mike was able to stand, walk and perch, because a chicken’s brain stem and cerebellum extend into the neck. While the cerebellum takes care of balance and posture, and motor functions, the brain stem controls homeostatic processes that keep an animal running, such as breathing and heartbeat. In poor old Mike’s case, this section was missed by the axe.
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