Duck! Birds used protect South African vineyard About 1,000 Indian Runner ducks are herded into the vineyards at Vergenoegd wine estate in South Africa to eat snails and other pests that threaten the vines. The ducks allow the farm to avoid using toxic pesticides, and they also fertilise the ground with their droppings. The ducks, which sleep in an enclosed pen, are herded into the vineyards in the day and then go for a swim in a dam. IMAGES