Must-see TV: 2 stars are born

LUMBERTON — Ducklings don’t normally fit the bill for must-see TV.

But viewers flocked to a live video stream of ducks hatching on Monday at the Cooperative Extension office in Lumberton.

People across the country watched the birds emerge from their eggs. The broadcast was part of a 4-H project designed to teach elementary school students about embryology.

“I don’t know if it’s more exciting for the kids or for the adults,” said Shea Ann DeJarnette, the 4-H Youth Development agent. “Seeing that whole miracle of life happen is not an everyday thing.”

According to DeJarnette, people in “Montana, Wyoming, Michigan and Texas” tuned in for the hatchings. She said the video stream gained attention after teachers started sharing the link.

“People think 4-H and they think cows and cooking, but we do so much more,” she said. “Technology and agriculture go hand-in-hand now.”

Mounted above a Styrofoam incubator, the camera rolled as two ducks pecked through their shells. Morrison, the first hatchling, was named after Jim Morrison, the late singer of the rock group The Doors. The second duckling was dubbed Thurston Howell III after the character from “Gilligan’s Island.”

“You could hear them chirping at each other inside their shells,” DeJarnette said. “I think one encouraged the other one.”

The 4-H Club began streaming chicken hatchings after public bird shows were banned last year by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The ban, which has since been lifted, was ordered to prevent the spread of the deadly avian flu virus.

DeJarnette says that live video streams give 4-H groups a new way to connect with children.

“We want kids to embrace agriculture and kids are very technology-oriented,” she said. “And I have to admit that I’m embracing my inner-geek.”

Chickens typically hatch in 21 days. Ducks can take up to 26 days to hatch.

The next broadcast will begin April 13 on ustream.com. Morrison and Thurston Howell III can be visited at the Cooperative Extension’s center in Robeson County, which is located at 455 Caton Road in Lumberton.

For information, call 910-671-3276 or by email at [email protected].

Jaymie Baxley | The Robesonian | Shea Ann DeJarnette, a 4-H Youth Development agent, plays with a pair of ducklings at the Cooperative Extension’s center in Robeson County. The birds hatched during a live video stream on Monday.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1__IMG9657.jpgJaymie Baxley | The Robesonian | Shea Ann DeJarnette, a 4-H Youth Development agent, plays with a pair of ducklings at the Cooperative Extension’s center in Robeson County. The birds hatched during a live video stream on Monday.

Jaymie Baxley | The Robesonian | Morrison, the first hatchling, was named after The Doors singer Jim Morrison. The second duckling was dubbed Thurston Howley III, a name inspired by the character from “Gilligan’s Island.”

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1__IMG9732.jpgJaymie Baxley | The Robesonian | Morrison, the first hatchling, was named after The Doors singer Jim Morrison. The second duckling was dubbed Thurston Howley III, a name inspired by the character from “Gilligan’s Island.”