28 July 2014

N20 Allen & Ginter Prize & Game Chickens 8: Wyandotte Cock (Silver Laced) with a Guest Appearance by Mike the Headless Chicken


I am just about through all of the 1891 Allen & Ginter N20 Prize & Game Chickens cards that I've collected so far. Today I am showing off the Wyandotte Cock (Silver Laced). These chickens are white with black edging around their feathers, although the Silver-Laced are just one of many different color variations that the Wyandotte can be found in. I'd say the illustration is a fairly accurate representation based on the photographs I found.

Linked from http://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/silver-laced-wyandottes/

The most famous Wyandotte was Mike the Headless Chicken, who lived on for 18 months after being beheaded by his owner in 1945. The ax missed Mike's major veins, as well as part of the rooster's brain stem and ear. Enough of the brain stem was left intact that Mike's basic bodily functions were able to continue. The farmer was able to feed him milk and water through an eyedropper and also small grains of corn, presumably by shoving them down his neck. He was apparently quite a moneymaker, but eventually choked to death in a motel room, kind of a fitting end for a wild-living rock star celebrity. He looked about like you would expect a headless chicken to look...


2 comments:

  1. You should get some fancy chickens. I know it's your dream.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I probably will look at getting some chickens once I'm out of school. Right now I don't have time to maintain the stuff I already have, let alone start up new projects and hobbies. It'd be nice to raise some bees, too.

      Delete