Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat

But also sadly rarer with all native goose breeds currently on the RBST Watchlist. Rare Breeds Survival Trust Chief Executive Christopher Price says they still have a valuable part to play for the future

- Christopher Price

Goose is seen by many as the more traditional and luxury choice for the Christmas roast, with darker meat which is rich and full of flavour. But it is not just at Christmas when our native breed geese come into their own.

For centuries, smallholders have appreciated the multiple benefits of keeping geese that many still enjoy today. Keepers have long been able to make good use of goose eggs, feathers, down and quills, find medicinal uses for its fat, and of course enjoy eating their delicious meat. Geese can also be used for grass control without turning the ground to mud, and they can help remove broadleaf weeds and perennial grasses. They can play an important role in conservation grazing too.

Geese are an economical choice on a smallholding, with multiple benefits for the keeper. The birds have interesting, individual characters and naturally keep guard, but they can be noisy.

There are 11 goose breeds recognised as native to the UK, sadly all of them are rare and categorised as Priority breeds in the current RBST Watchlist. There is fantastic variety among our native geese thanks to each breed's distinct genetic make-up. With the unknowns of future diseases highlighted currently by the ongoing impacts of avian flu, keeping the distinct genetics of each of our native breeds of goose is crucial.

Here are a few of the UK's native geese breeds:

WEST OF ENGLAND GOOSE RBST