Manna Pro Product Review

the trifecta of Manna Pro products I set out to try

There are many products available on the market to help make a chicken keeper's life easier. From chick rearing to health care supplies to feed and nutrition; if you've got money to spend, someone's got JUST the product for you! But let's not count our chickens before they hatch! I'm going to take a closer look at three products out from Manna Pro to help save you a little time and help keep your chicks happy and healthy.

A very well respected chicken-and-homestead blogger, author and magazine featured Farm Chick (who I greatly admire and I am lucky enough to call a friend) sent me these products from her sponsor, Manna Pro, and asked me to try them. Lisa of Fresh Eggs Daily has the livestock company as a sponsor of her blog, a wonderful partnership of two very animal savvy groups! (Read what Fresh Eggs Daily has to say about the products here)  I was thrilled to get the chance to try them and I set off to use right away.

photo from Manna Pro website

First up on my product review is the Wipe 'N Wash egg cleansing towelettes. These biodegradable wipes made from recycled paper are a wonderful alternative to harsh chemical cleaners. As soon as I took the first one out of the container, I noticed that that the wipes were practically fragrance free. The sturdy, thick wipes held up well to scrubbing (even much more vigorous scrubbing than was necessary - strictly for test purposes!) My egg rinsed clean as the instructions indicate and was left with no residue, and my wipe was still ready to take on more eggs. Prior to this, I was subscribed to the 'no wash' method for my eggs and only washed down the dirty ones with warm water. Now that I have this easy to use, gentle cleansing alternative, I'm definitely keeping a container of Wipe 'N Wash on hand! My girls are novice layers, having only been at this about a month, and sometimes get a little messy in their nest boxes. Droppings and mud don't stand a chance against these wipes and I'll be using them to spot clean from now on!

Some of my hen's beautiful eggs, all shiny and clean, after using Wipe 'N Wash

The other products I had the opportunity to use were the Manna Pro Poultry Protector spray and the Coop 'N Compost coop odor neutralizer. I decided the best way for me to utilize these products was to incorporate them to help with my winter coop prep I needed to do.  I wanted to get one last good cleaning in before I started doing the deep litter method over the winter and I knew these products would get me on the right track to keeping my coop safe, clean and protected.

I started by ushering my girls outside and closing the chicken door access to the coop.  No worries!  They were completely distracted with the frozen Apple Pie Muffins and Pumpkin Muffins I threw out for them and didn't mind one bit that I was poking around their house.  I started my cleaning by removing all the old bedding and nesting materials so  that I had a clean base to start from.  Once all of those materials were removed, I reached for the Poultry Protector spray.

photo from Manna Pro website

While the product can be used on the birds directly to help ensure that they don't become infested by parasites such as lice, mites and fleas, I chose the method of application for the coop itself.  In September we had noticed a few mites crawling on the exterior of the coop, but thankfully the hens themselves had not been infested.  So back then we locked the girls outside in the run all day while we let a harsh chemical treat the coop.  I was a Nervous Nelly for the next few days, terrified about the possible side effects of using this chemical could  do to my girls.

photo from Manna Pro website

You could imagine after that my relief in finding that the Poultry Protector uses much gentler, natural ways to help treat for parasites.  I applied the product as directed, to all surface areas of my coop - including the roosts, ceiling, nest boxes, and around the windows and doors.  My coop is 40 square feet and the bottle contained enough to cover it all with some to spare.  It was so nice to treat the coop without being knocked on my backside by harsh fumes and have to carry on the chores with watering eyes!

a close up look at the granules

After giving the product a little time to dry, I opened the Coop 'N Compost.  I shook out a fine layer of the granules on to the coop floor as the label indicates to do.  It has a wonderful clean scent that was not at all overpowering.  I laid out the bedding over top and it was done that quickly!  Plenty remained in the container and I look forward to using it to refresh the bedding through the winter during the deep litter method.  I can definitely say that I much prefer the Coop 'N Compost granules to the powder I had used prior.  Rather than getting blown all over, I can be sure that this product is actually sticking inside my bedding and doing its job!

Visit Manna Pro's website

I have to say that to me, these products are worth trying again and are items I would recommend to  other chicken keepers to help with their flocks.  One of the best things about raising chickens is having peace of mind that you are providing them the very best that you can in life (in their food, their shelter, their health and safety) and in return they provide you a bounty of nutritious eggs and companionship beyond compare.  Next time you are out at your local supply store, be sure to pick up these Manna Pro products and give them a try.  Better yet, why not check out Fresh Eggs Daily's Farm Shop and Farmacy and pick up a bevy of wonderful products that have been Farm Chick tested and approved!

Visit Fresh Eggs Daily's blog, Facebook,

Pinterest, Twitter, Youtube, Etsy and Amazon Farm Shop!

Lisa Steele Fan Club

We love Lisa Steele and Fresh Eggs Daily.  Fresh Eggs Daily was where I was first given sound, sane friendly advice about the best way to raise healthy and happy hens. 
Never preachy or ignoring newcomers, Lisa dishes up her experiences as a learning tool for us all.  You won't find her regurgitating generic facts any of us could google answers to.  Expect her replies to be honest, often heartfelt and always based on a farm chick's experience.
Check out her Facebook, her blog and even her featured article in Chickens Magazine.  (We are so proud of her!)  Meredith and Tinkerbell really enjoyed the article and we know you will too!

Ohio National 2012

For me, it was only one day.  A few brief hours in all actuality.  But for this Farm Chick Chit Chat girl, I had found and experienced the Chicken Mecca.

On November 10, 2012 I stepped foot into the Ohio National in Columbus, largest and most spectacular gatherings of poultry breeders, exhibitors and fanatics that amassed in the state of Ohio.  With my husband and 8 year old daughter in tow, I began walking down the countless rows of birds, vendors and clubs on display.  The enormity of the building was overwhelming, yet every available space was occupied by people wanting to take part in such an amazing event.

My first priority was to stake out the Meyer Hatchery booth and say hello.  For those of you who don't know Meyer Hatchery, you don't know what an amazing and helpful staff they have.  They have some amazing people working there who are not only knowledgeable and have experience with poultry, but who are also very courteous and take the time to get to know you and what your needs are.  They truly want you to walk away from your experience educated, satisfied and happy with your new flock members, and they know the key to return business is in these details.

After catching up with my favorite hatchery's on goings, and snagging one of their GORGEOUS 2013 catalogs (get my treat recipe with your QR scanner on page 75 and see little glimpse of my daughter, another Meyer Hatchery fan, on page 104) and calendars, it was time to look at the vendor and club tables.  Products were lined up neatly as far as the eye could see; books, medical supplies, leg bands, feed, treats.  You name it, it was there.  Some wonderful companies had their products available for purchase and I was tempted at every turn!  Buckley Bros. Inc., PBS Animal Health, Smith Poultry & Game Bird Supplies, Foy's Pet Supplies, Keipper Cooping Company and Twin City Poultry Supplies are all proud affiliates of the Ohio National.

Several clubs also had tables set up distributing information and speaking about the wonderful qualities of their breeds.  Whether your eye tends to stray toward bantams, exotics or heritage, there was a club in attendance for you.  Just a few of the many attending were the American Buckeye Poultry Club, Serama Council of North America, Wyandotte Breeders of America, American Brahma Club, American Bantam Association and the American Poultry Association.

Who else is connected with the Ohio National?  Why none other than the Ohio Poultry Association, Backyard Poultry Magazine and chicken guru Andy Schneider, better known as the Chicken Whisperer.  I didn't get to personally meet Andy, mind you, but rather he is listed on the Ohio National site as an affiliate.  It's probably a good thing I didn't run into him.  I'd have probably embarrassed myself (not to mention my husband and child) by asking him to autograph a copy of his book for me.  It would totally be worth it!  Sorry Mike and Meredith.

One of my favorite chat's I did have was with Rick Rieser of Percy Learning Farms and author of Percy the Perfectly Imperfect Chicken. Mr. Rieser has an impressive background including (excerpt from the book's About the Author page) "25 year career as a writer, nationally recognized children's advocate and most importantly, chicken farmer. He has developed resources for children of all ages that emphasize and focus on the inner strength and potential that exists in every child. He is a cum laude graduate of Capital Law School, earned two degrees from The Ohio State University including a Masters in Family Science. He has received numerous awards including the Martin Luther King Jr Award (Ohio), 1997 Friend of Education Award, the Peacemaker Award and other national recognitions for his work."

All these credentials aside, in speaking with Rick, I could tell he was incredibly passionate about  his beliefs.  As a therapy dog handler myself, I immediately connected with him and his message he is trying to teach.  In his beautifully illustrated book, he tells us the story of Percy, a chicken who is told by the others that he is not perfect.  "What's perfect?" Percy asks.  In reading this book you learn not to question by who's standards you should measure up to, but rather to stand up and embrace what makes us different.  I encourage all parents to pick up a copy of this book for the young children in your life, be they chicken enthusiasts or not.  The positive message it convey's is uplifting and encouraging.  I will be taking my copy of the book into school for use in my reading therapy program and I know the children will all enjoy it as much as I did.







It was a wonderful day spent admiring all the beautiful birds, gathering information on clubs and perusing the vendor tables.  I could go on for days about all the amazing animals that I saw there, but I wouldn't hardly begin to do them justice.  So many breeds I had never seen before, or had only seen in the glossy pages of a magazine, where right there before my eyes.  Getting a first hand look at them, you really can appreciate the unique qualities of each breed.  My only complaint?  Trying to photograph birds behind bars!  I so wanted to be able to share with everyone the details in their feather patterns, the sparkle in their eye, and of course that chicken personality that always shines through.  While I think I got a few decent shots in, I was wholly disappointed that the bars obstructed my shots (and caused some nasty flash glares).  Thankfully, I wasn't alone.  My 8 year old daughter, Meredith, decided she'd be an ace photographer for my blog.  HERE are the photos taken by her, and I thank her for showing you the Ohio National from her perspective.  (Can you tell what breed is her favorite?)

I will leave you with a few more shots from my album (a few more here from my phone's camera), and some from Meredith's as well.  Be sure to visit these websites to learn more about the Ohio National and the people, groups and organizations involved in it.  If you plan on attending next year, please let me know.  I'd love to explore the event with more chicken enthusiasts, especially if I can convince them to take pictures too!

Still want to see more?  Visit our albums here:

My Ohio National 2012 Album

My Ohio National 2012 Camera Phone Pictures

Ohio National 2012 Photos by Meredith A.