But they would have to get up early - it takes 90 minutes to boil one.

The outsize orbs are 18 times the size of a chicken's egg but can be cooked in exactly the same ways.

But cooks be warned. The usual egg timers are obsolete while a single fried ostrich egg will reach up to 28 inches wide, far too large for a normal pan.

The Hampshire farmer refused to bury his head in the sand when times were hard and branched out into ostriches.

The flightless birds cohabit with sheep at Tapnage Farm in Titchfield Lane. As well as the eggs Graham sells ostrich meat, sheep's cheese and lamb burgers.

Graham says demand has never been higher, despite each egg costing £10.

He said: "I can sell as many as they lay. They taste just like normal chicken eggs and you can eat them in exactly the same ways."

There are 30 ostriches on the farm, and each female produces at least 80 eggs a year.

But the Lant family has still not grown sick of them.

Graham added: "We drill a hole in the shell and then blow out the inside. We then divide the egg into portions. You can freeze some of it and use it later for cakes, quiches, scrambled eggs. They're ideal."

He diversified into sheep and ostriches five years ago.

Since he started so many people have been curious about his unusual farm that he has decided to run an open weekend on Saturday and Sunday, July 27 and 28.

He said: "So many people want to see the ostriches and ask us questions about them that we would never get any work done. So we thought we'd invite everyone in one go."