This proverb indicates that poverty compels people to give what they have, even if it is not ideal. In Malagasy culture, it is important to show respect to one’s son-in-law or daughter-in-law, often through the giving of high-quality gifts. A blind chicken symbolizes a subpar gift, thus highlighting the donor’s impoverished state. An equivalent English proverb might be: ‘Beggars can’t be choosers’.