The Ministry of Defence has dished out £2million in compensation in the past four years because its noisy aircraft have scared pigs, lambs and horses to death.

The department has given £250,000 to poultry farmers because their helicopters and planes have left hens so spooked they trampled each other to death.

While those who survived the rampage were left too spooked to lay any more eggs - hitting farmers' earnings.

Meanwhile, flocks of birds, horses and cattle have been left so scared by the low flying aircraft the have scrambled and died in the chaos which ensued.

The Ministry of Defence has dished out £2million in compensation in the past four years because its noisy aircraft (like Chinooks, pictured) have scared pigs, lambs and horses to death

A spokesman for the British Egg Industry Council said 'Low-flying aircraft can cause the birds to'smother in a panic reaction.

'Smothering is when the hens all pile in on top of each other, sometimes against an obstacle such as a wall.

'The ones at the bottom suffocate. Many hundreds of birds can be lost in this way.

WHAT INCIDENTS THE MOD PAY OUT FOR? £79,041 to East Sussex poultry farm hundreds of birds died when they panicked when a Chinook helicopter flew overhead.

to East Sussex poultry farm hundreds of birds died when they panicked when a Chinook helicopter flew overhead. £25,000 to a falconry centre in Derbyshire when owls and hawks died trying to flee through the wire sides of an aviary when a helicopter flew overhead.

to a falconry centre in Derbyshire when owls and hawks died trying to flee through the wire sides of an aviary when a helicopter flew overhead. £83,125 to a person for head injuries they got when a horse scared by a Chinook kicked them

to a person for head injuries they got when a horse scared by a Chinook kicked them £2,200 paid to the owner of a parrot from Ayrshire which died after being scared by a Hercules aircraft. Advertisement

'The other possible effect on hens from stress is that they go out of egg production and the eggs the hens do produce are often poorly shelled and not fit for the table market.'

The single biggest pay-out was £79,041 to the owners of a poultry farm in East Sussex where hundreds of birds died when they panicked when a Chinook helicopter flew overhead.

While some £23,356 went to a farmers in Cheshire for damage and loss of egg production when a Squirrel helicopter flew by.

The MoD also paid £25,000 to a falconry centre in Derbyshire which lost birds of prey when a helicopter flew overhead.

Eight birds including owls, hawks and falcons are understood to have suffered fatal injuries when they flew into the wire sides of the aviary to get away from the noise.

While £42,700 was paid for cows that died after being scared by a Puma helicopter in Co Tyrone, and £20,000 for an injured horse that lost its foal in Dyfed.

Meanwhile, some of the payments also went to people who were harmed because of noisy military helicopters and planes.

The department has given £250,000 to poultry farmers because their helicopters and planes have left hens so spooked they trampled each other to death (file pic)

One of the biggest payments was £83,125 which went to a person who suffered head injuries when they were knocked over by a horse that had been scared by a Chinook helicopter.

And £2,200 was paid to the owner of a parrot from Ayrshire which died after being scared by a Hercules aircraft.

While the MoD had to foot the bill for another parrot's vet bills after it broke both its legs after being scared.

Compensation was also paid to members of a therapy group whose tranquility was disturbed by the aircraft.

The MoD said that it 'understands that military low flying can be noisy and unpopular but it is an essential part of operational training'.