A fine bird, either farm-bred or wild, often cooked for special occasions. It produces a huge amount of fat, which is wonderful for roasting potatoes and other root vegetables. A bird weighing 4.5 kg (10 lb) will feed about 6 people, while one of 7 kg (15½ lb) will feed around 10 people. The goose is a particular bird and, despite many efforts by farmers, it lays its egg only at a season which means that goose is available to eat between Michaelmas and Christmas. After Christmas, as the goose moves towards its breeding season again, the texture of the flesh changes, rendering it essentially inedible.