How can chickens run around with no head?

Question

I don't get it! How do chickens do that?

Answer 1

the spinal cord does all the work

yes, yes indeed the spinal cord

we "animals" are hard wired to move,no thought required(just in case).

Answer 2

Chickens can usually live a short time (about 30 seconds) without their head because of the adrenaline in their muscle tissues. The adrenaline is released and the chicken moves around aimlessly after death.

There is the story of Mike, The Headless Chicken, who lived 18 months without his head. He survived because his owner missed the jugular vein and most of the brain stem so Mike didn't bleed to death and was able to live.

Answer 3

I don't know exactly how they do it, but they aren't the only animal that moves a lot after they die. We always used to call it "nerves", but I suppose it's just that the muscles keep moving for a while after death.

Many animals move after death though, particularly snakes. Snakes move for ages. When I was a kid, I lived in the country, and even though we liked snakes, we would shoot the venomous ones in our garden as it was dangerous to have them there. I would tie them in knots after they had been shot, and they would untie themselves.

Anyway, it is the case that a lot of animals move immediately after death. With chickens, it's just more obvious because they are so small they will actually bounce up in the air and flap around. With other animals, they don't run around, although their legs often kick in a running motion, but they are too heavy to actually move around much.

Hope that helps.

Answer 4

It is because when the chicken's head is cut-off, the chicken would have reflexes since most of the chickens brain stem and one ear was left on its body which the brain stem controls the reflexes and makes it possible for them to move or even live for a while. And when the chickens head is cut-off, there is a chance that the cut will not hit a very vital part of the chicken.