A while back I was sent some samples to give a try. In this post, I’ll review the “All Natural Water Protector” from Carefree Enzymes, Inc in this post.
Water care for our chickens in the past always included a dash of apple cider vinegar added to the 5 gallon water feeder along with open dishes of water scattered throughout the yard (which did not get the vinegar).
The reason we used the vinegar in the water feeder is that with a large reservoir of water (that was always getting dirty from the chickens) it seemed to effectively cut back on bacterial growth and foam. Apple cider vinegar is an acid and bacteria does not grow well in an acidic environment.
It was easy to do and very cost effective, I saw no reason to change.
So although I was willing to give All Natural Water Protector a try, I wasn’t expecting much. It simply seemed like someone had re-invented a common inexpensive item and put a higher cost on it.
The label on the bottle reads: “Nothing is more important to the overall health of your flock than clean, clear water. Manna Pro Water Protector provides a unique blend of enzymes that stop film, residue, and natural contamination from affecting the taste and quality of your poultry’s water. Water Protector is an all-natural solution for keeping your flock’s water supply safe and clear. “
Certainly sounded good enough.
All Natural Water Protector is made from Water, Yeast, Citric Acid, and Potassium Sorbate. Hmmm, yeast huh? The first thing I did was write to the company asking if the yeast was added as a nutrient or a component and I got this reply from Patrick Haley, the President of CareFree Enzymes, Inc
“Apple cider vinegar, or for that matter any vinegar, is extremely harsh and will eat through galvanized containers. I don’t have the report but I was told by the health director at MannaPro that Apple vinegar will take the cuticle off the egg with its high pH.
I like to think of vinegar as a great window cleaner. Our product has a pH of less than 4, and will not affect the cuticle.
Our enzymes are made up of a Yeast extract: The EPA recognizes yeast as an inert ingredient, they do not recognize enzymes. While on the other hand, in the organic industry, they recognize enzymes but not the yeast extract. When we developed the label for MannaPro they wanted the EPA version.”
It was after reading this email, that I had a bit of an “ah-ha” moment. We have to replace our galvanized water feeders on pretty much a yearly basis due to rust. I had always attributed this to the rusted parts (those little hooks that connect the top to the dish) being constantly underwater. Water + metal = rust, right?
But then it occurred to me that the galvanized pail I have used for years and years around the house did not have a spec of rust on it.
Perhaps, the innocuous Apple cider vinegar I had been using was not that innocuous after all.
I started adding the All Natural Water Protector to our chicken’s water. I have not noticed any bacteria growth or foam and it seems to be working as well as my tried and true Apple Cider Vinegar. For me, it makes sense to use a product that will protect the water from bacterial growth but that will also protect my chickens from an acidic and harsh chemical entering their body (and if you don’t think Apple cider vinegar is harsh, try getting it near your eye sometime.)
I plan on continuing to use this product in our chicken’s water and will see if we end up replacing our water feeder at the end of winter which is the time that we usually do. If this product can keep my water containers from rusting it will be well worth the cost of use.
And after all, if something I am adding to the water is so acidic that it can cause rust, what must it be doing with regard to leaching the calcium supplies in my chickens?
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Note: I received a sample of this product for review. I am not affiliated with Carefree Enzymes, Inc. All views are my own.
Next week I will review the Egg Washing product.
