The Enormous Number Of Eggs Martha Stewart Gets From Her Chickens Per Day

While many know Martha Stewart for her party-planning tips or her friendship and cooking-show collaboration with rapper and bologna sandwich expert Snoop Dogg, fewer are aware that she's also a farmer — or at least, a farm owner. The author, television host, and former model owns a 152-acre farm property in Katonah, New York, where she raises chickens, grows vegetables, and keeps horses and peacocks. All these plants and animals aren't simply decorative either — Martha Stewart's chickens provide her with a whopping 60 to 100 eggs each day.

Obviously, that's far too many eggs for one woman, even the famous Martha Stewart, to eat. That's why the eggs produced by her chickens don't just end up on her personal table. While Stewart has said in an interview with Tasting Table that her chicken farm is somewhat "inefficient" — her chickens are fed a special diet of expensive feed that costs over $10,000 – she also claims that they're "the best eggs that you'll have ever eaten," which is why she likes to package and share them. In fact, speaking with Food & Wine, Stewart revealed that when she's invited to parties, she'll give the hosts "a couple dozen eggs from the chickens."

You don't have to be Martha Stewart to have your own chickens, and with rising egg prices across the U.S., more and more people are trying their hand at raising their own hens. Chickens have long been one of the most popular forms of livestock for individuals to keep at home due in part to the fact that they don't require huge patches of grazing land like cows and sheep. Of course, they will need some breathing room, and on her blog, Stewart explains that, ideally, "each will bird will need at least two square feet ... in the coop, and plenty of room (at least 10 square feet each) to roam freely outside."

A single backyard chicken lays about four to six eggs per week on average. However, you should ideally have at least two to three birds at a time, as chickens are highly social flock animals, and a single backyard chicken will be lonely. With a small home flock of at least two, you'll find yourself with up to a dozen eggs a week. As for feeding them, while you don't need Martha Stewart's super expensive feed, she does suggest that in addition to "organic pellets fortified with protein and calcium," you should supplement your chickens' diet with "fruit and vegetable scraps" from your kitchen.

However, if you do decide to try your hand at raising your own chickens for eggs or meat, proceed with care. Be sure to research different types of chickens, land use regulations where you live and if coops are permitted, and the necessary start-up costs. Finally, be sure to brush up on the health risks associated with farm-fresh eggs and backyard chickens, from salmonella to avian flu, as well as preventative measures. And if you plan on cooking with your eggs, definitely learn about the unexpected tool Martha Stewart uses to separate her whites from her yolks.