User blog comment:Getgroundhog/The biggest plot hole in Skyrim?/@comment-4113369-20120823125039

The chicken recipes are the last remaining material belonging to a now-defunct cult of vile chicken killers. See, chickens are creatures blessed by the Nine Divines, and are to an extent godly themselves. I'm sure you can see how the relatively zealous inhabitants of Skyrim would take issue with that. Also, since the only way to create more chickens is for another being to be blessed (which does by no means happen often), chickens are rare. Killing one is more than worth a death penalty, as far as most citizens of Skyrim are concerned.

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Lore Nut,

IGotsAName

PS: And before you ask; yes. Martin Septim did in fact ascend to chickenhood after the Oblivion incident.