Brad Pitt is accused of terrifying chickens with loud explosions in Northern Ireland

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Brad Pitt accused of scaring chickens, cows and horses during filming
He is producing action movie Lost City of Z in Ballygally, Northern Ireland
Farmers claim 'bangs, gunfire and explosions' in filming is scaring animals
Jason McKillion said: 'There was an explosion and my animals went daft'

Published: 13:40 EST, 23 September 2015 | Updated: 15:44 EST, 23 September 2015

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Brad Pitt has been accused of terrifying chickens with loud explosions during filming for his latest movie, Lost City of Z, in Ballygally, Northern Ireland

Brad Pitt has been accused of terrifying chickens and other farm animals with loud explosions and gunfire during filming for his latest movie in Northern Ireland.

The Hollywood star is currently producing action movie Lost City of Z in the rolling hills surrounding the picturesque village of Ballygally.

Filming for the biopic about a British explorer started in Belfast last month and is understood to have moved to the rural location last week.

Since then, landowners claim 'bangs, gunfire and explosions' have driven their chickens, cows, bulls and horses 'daft'.

Farmer Jason McKillion said horses had tried to escape their fields, bulls had charged into farm workers and his chickens had flown off in fear.

Mr McKillion said: 'It started last Monday with bangs, gunfire and small explosions and then on Tuesday the bigger explosions started.

'They shook the house and windows and the boom echoed through the glen.

'My neighbour's horses were in the field near the film set and they went spare, trying to jump the ditches.

'On Wednesday, there was another explosion and my animals went daft.

'The chickens were squawking and the dog was outside, barking and shaking.'

Mr McKillion said the noises continued throughout the week, upsetting not only his animals but also those belonging to his neighbours.

He added: 'I went to Larne and when I came back the dog was shivering under a chair and the hens had all gone.

'Then I heard there had been another explosion while I was out.

'I was sitting outside and the chickens had just come back when there was another explosion, even louder than the last.

Filming for the biopic about a British explorer moved to Ballygally last week and since then landowners claim 'bangs, gunfire and explosions' (pictured above) have driven their chickens, cows, bulls and horses 'daft'

Large film trucks and vans can be seen parked up in fields in in Ballygally, Northern Ireland, where Brad pitt has been filming his latest action movie Lost City of Z which stars A-listers Robert Pattinson and Sienna Miller

'Another neighbour's cow and calf jumped the hedge and the cows were bellowing in fear.

'On Friday morning, it sounded like a war was going on, and later there was another explosion.

'My neighbour was feeding bulls in the field when it happened.

'They stampeded and knocked him and the feeding trough over.'

The Lost City of Z is about British explorer Percy Fawcett who made several attempts to find an ancient lost city in Amazon.

Farmer Jason McKillion said his horses had tried to escape their fields, bulls had charged into workers and his chickens (one pictured) had flown off in fear

He disappeared in 1925 along with his son in the search of the city in the region of Barra do Garças in Brazil.

The movie is produced by Pitt and stars Charlie Hunnam as Fawcett with Robert Pattinson as fellow explorer Henry Costin and Sienna Miller as his wife Nina Fawcett.

Local residents said the disruptive noises started near the coastal village of Ballygally, north of Belfast, last week.

Residents have shared pictures of explosions at the location, as well as fires billowing smoke.

Mr McKillion said those living and working in the area should have been given advance warning so they could protect their livestock.

He said: 'There wasn't a single notification about this, which would have been common courtesy.

'I support companies filming here, but they need to keep local people in the loop.

'If we had a schedule, we could put the animals into barns.

'At the minute we are on tenterhooks. It's totally agricultural here, totally tranquil.

'There's never a sound and that makes it more disruptive as the animals aren't used to the noise and they just went hysterical.

'This is supposed to be an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) and tranquillity.'

A spokesman for Northern Ireland Screen promised to contact the film's production team publicity over the concerns, although she said the funding organisation was not involved in the 'day-to-day shoot'.