Five cows and four calves have died after eating yew tree clippings which had been thrown into the field, a Hampshire farm business has said.
Newlyns Farm Shop, Café & Cookery School, which is based on a 500 acre farm in Hampshire, made the discovery on Monday (15 October).
The animals died after eating yew trimmings which had been thrown over the fence.
The farm has since taken to social media to raise awareness of the dangers of disposing garden waste in fields, saying it is not a "dumping ground".
The viral Facebook post has received more than 65,000 shares, with many users criticising those who litter in the countryside.
The needles and seeds of all yews are highly poisonous to livestock, although the red, fleshy seed covering is not. Humans, particularly children, are also susceptible to the toxins in these plants.
Yews, fresh and dried, are toxic year round. Consumption of as little as 1-10 g/kg of body weight for ruminants and 0.5-2 g/kg for horses is lethal.
