#173. Yes. It is. As long as the method used is very quick to ensure minimum awareness of what is happening. No death is *absolutely* painless, but quickly laying a chicken down and removing the head in one hard fast chop is without doubt the quickest, most pain reduced way to end it's life. Trying to snap the neck of a bird as some peole do, can go very wrong and doesn't always ensure death. But a well sharpened heavy cleaver, a steady hand and perhaps someone to help hold the bird, invariably brings about a very very quick, almost pain free, albeit messy end. If it's possible for anyone to raise their own chickens to eat OR for eggs if you are dim enough to contine the idiotic practice of vegetarianism, please do so as YOU will be the one who decides what to feed them, and YOU can control and ensure that their lives are lived in a healthy and enjoyable way, with correct food and plenty of space and mental stimulation before they are either killed for consumption or live out their lives into old age. If you cannot keep the birds yourself, try to find someone in your local area who does, and see if they have excess eggs or prepared meat to sell. Or if you can't find anyone lik that, See if there are local farmers markets in your town or city. These markets are very often populated by sellers who own smallholdings, allotments or small farms, where the option of keep vast disgusting ( expensive to build and run ) buildings full of mistreated livestock is simply not an option . Many of these people will have small herds and groups of animals and birds, and will simply be selling excess meats and produce that they cannot consume themselves. The stuff you buy may cost a little more, but if you want to support good practice, this is the best way to do it.

173, in the wild, they are slowly ripped apart limb by limb by a predator, but treating and killing them humanely is no better and completely absurd, right? Animals get eaten one way or another - deal with it.