Die Geschichte rund um Mike, The Headless Chicken ist tatsächlich schon älter, bei Life bin ich aber gerade über die Bilder vom geköpften, lebenden Hahn gestolpert. Mike sollte im September 1945 in den Kochtopf, was nicht ganz klappte und er anderthalb Jahre ohne Kopf weiterlebte. Snip aus der Wikipedia:
On September 10, 1945, farmer Lloyd Olsen of Fruita, Colorado, had his mother-in-law around for supper and was sent out to the yard by his wife to bring back a chicken. Olsen chose a five-and-a-half month old cockerel named Mike, but failed to completely decapitate the bird. The axe missed the jugular vein, leaving one ear and most of the brain stem intact.
Despite Olsen’s botched handiwork, Mike was still able to balance on a perch and walk clumsily; it even attempted to preen and crow, although it could do neither. After the bird did not die, a surprised Mr. Olsen decided to continue to care permanently for Mike, feeding it a mixture of milk and water via an eyedropper; it was also fed small grains of corn. Mike occasionally choked on its own mucus, which the Olsen family would clear using a syringe.
Im März 1947 begann Mike mitten in der Nacht in einem Motel in Phoenix plötzlich zu würgen. – Yeah, auf Tour im Motel erstickt! Kein seltener Tod für einen Super-Star!