Being the fan of chickens that I am, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to read about Mike, The Headless Chicken, who lived for 18 months after an unsucessful attempt to be eaten for dinner and then was taken on the road by his fortune-seeking owners.
Initially, this strikes me as something too impossible to be true. I mean, how did he eat? How did he survive not running into stuff? How did he know where to roost at night? How did he escape predators?
The ‘proof’ that the town of Fuita, Colorado has a link on its town website for Mike and has an annual festival? Well, that doesn’t make it true. I mean, for goodness sakes, Roswell, NM has an annual UFO festival, even though it’s not linked on the city website. I’m pretty sure we can’t equate festival = real.
Nonetheless, I was so compelled by this take that I decided to go looking researching.
Of course, there’s a Wikipedia page for Mike. Knowing that Wikipedia doesn’t accept any first hand accounts (and why not? I mean, they really ought to think about not accepting anything that doesn’t have first and second-hand resources! Look also at the bit on journalism………….) gets my hinky meter going, mostly because it’s commonly known that second-hand information is heresay, which isn’t generally admissible in court.
So, then I thought I would check Snopes. Nada. Although there was a reference on the discussion boards there, there is nothing written up about Mike. Poor Mike. Not worthy of urban legend status according to Snopes! 
I did, however, hit the jackpot when I stumbled across this article from the Denver Post where Mike had thrown his hat, er, head into the presidential ring. Using “It’s a No-Brainer” as a campaign slogan for the “Free Range Party ticket” was genius!
It’s linked to Time Magazine, which had taken several pictures, including Mike being fed by syringe. Honestly, I’m not sure how Mike managed not to aspirate. And cracked corn? 
Anyhow. While this seems fantastical, early evidence suggests it’s true.
You tell me: true or hoax?
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I am almost positive it’s true. How? Because I remember hearing about it at some immeasurable point in the past via some vague and ill-remembered media. No, but seriously. I think my mom’s aunt’s daughter’s dog’s pet chicken told me. Or something. But for real. I remember hearing about this once. I kinda think it’s true. Maybe?
We lived in Co for a few years, and I never heard about it. Well, that was before we had a computer, so maybe that’s some of it………
It just seems totally illogical, but if Time Magazine has it documented, it makes me more inclined to think maybe it did happen. Strange-o for sure!