Yokel cut hearts from birds (7)
I believe the answer is:
peasant
'yokel' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
I don't understand the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for peasant that I've seen before include "Bumpkin" , "Poor smallholder" , "rude fellow" , "Agricultural labourer of low status" , "Lowly tiller of land" .)