Hi,

Can horsefields eat cress?

I'm only manging to get plantain and dandelions at the mo and the weeds I'm growing indoors is mostly clover it seems.

Thanks

Row

Hi Row,

They can, but if you mean the salad cress that you buy in punnets in the supermarket, then that isn't really cress -- it's young oilseed rape, and isn't that good for them (although not toxic). They can eat water cress though, and other edible stuff from the supermarket is romaine lettuce, lamb's lettuce, and a good salad mix called Florette Crispy that most supermarkets sell (everything in that is good for torts). Do keep up the plantain and dandies though, as those are better than all the supermarket produce. You can also feed a little kale. Officially it is a brassica and therefore shouldn't be fed, but it is the best of the brassicas for torts and has, if I remember, a high calcium content (so feed sparingly and part of a mixed diet).

Nina

My tortoise loves frozen peas.  I also give him watercress and a bit of spinach, if you can get any rose petals they enjoy them as well.  If you have any other ideas for me then I would appreciate them.  I have had mine for about 3 months now would like to vary his diet a bit more in case he gets bored.

Hi,

Although spinach is high in Calcium it is also very high in oxalates which binds with the calcium affecting it's absorption and isn't a recommended food. Peas are high in protein and so shouldn't be fed at all.

We will have a plant list on the website in due course, but in the meantime here is a good link which will hopefully help:-

http://www.tlady.clara.net/id16.htm

HTH
Kindest Regards

Darren