Greedy cows eat themselves to death after escaping and finding food stash

A herd of hungry cows found themselves in dire straits after stumbling upon their food stash and troughing the lot.

The animals saw an opportunity after their barn door in western France was left unsecured, allowing them to wander down to their food store.

A winter’s worth of rations was stashed there, and the 46 cows made short work of polishing off the lot.

Sadly, the high energy grain is harmful when consumed in large quantities.

Dairy farmer Anthony Vaillant, whose farm is near the town of Couëron, told local newspaper Ouest-France: “It’s like an overdose.

“If they are eaten in too big a quantity, these cereals stop the digestive rumen function of the cows. And when the stomach does not work the cow becomes intoxicated.”

Despite assistance from a vet, 22 of the cows died as a result of over-eating, while the remaining 24 have been left unable to produce milk.

Mr Vaillant hopes the farming community will help him re-establish his herd.

Image: REX