Electric poultry netting vs a permanent fence

By the Fluff & Feed team · Updated October 13, 2026

Electric poultry netting is a portable, electrified mesh fence you can move around a pasture. A permanent fence is buried wire that stays put. Both keep out many ground predators, and neither stops hawks or owls on its own. Here is how they compare, and which fits which yard.

How electric netting works

An energizer sends short pulses down the netting's conductive strands. When an animal touches a strand, current passes through the animal into the ground and back to the energizer through its ground rods, and the animal feels a shock (University of Kentucky). Poor grounding is the most common cause of electric fence problems, according to a USDA NRCS guide. Its rule of thumb is at least 3 feet of ground rod per joule of energizer output. Without a ground return wire, a fence may not work well in dry weather (UGA).

Joules measure the energy in each pulse. Virginia Tech says output joules are the best number for comparing energizers. Of the energizers we list, the Premier1 IntelliShock 10 is rated at 1 joule for 4 to 5 of the 164-foot poultry nets, and the solar Premier1 SolarStop 80 is rated at 0.8 joules for 3 to 5 rolls. Use only one energizer per fence, and only an approved one (Clemson, UGA).

Grass is the main enemy. Heavy vegetation touching the wires can short the fence and make it ineffective (UGA). Premier1 says its PoultryNet must be moved when tall grass covers the lower hot strands, or the grass must be mowed.

What it stops, and what it doesn't

University of Maryland Extension says poultry netting can offer some protection against ground predators, as long as an adequate charge is kept along the whole fence line. It does not deter flying predators (Oregon State). University of Kentucky says fences help with ground predators but won't keep away hawks and owls. For those, cover the run with netting or wire.

Moving it for rotational grazing

Oregon State describes "day-range" systems where birds graze pasture inside portable netting that can be moved every week or longer. Move it often, since leaving it in place can damage soil and pasture. The work is real: a USDA SARE project calls moving heavy sections of fencing by hand "time consuming and physically demanding." Premier1 lists its 164-foot PoultryNet 12/48/3 at about 21 to 23 pounds a roll.

A permanent fence

Woven wire usually comes 26 to 48 inches tall (UGA). Coyotes can jump fences up to 5 feet, and raccoons and opossums climb fences and can reach through wire (Maryland). So a permanent run works best with small openings and a covered top. Penn State says fully confining birds in fenced, covered runs is the best protection.

To stop diggers, bury the wire at least 12 inches deep, then turn it outward. Sources differ on the apron: Maryland says at least 8 to 10 inches, Penn State says about 6 inches. Raccoons can open simple latches, so lock gates and doors (Maryland).

Cost

Of the electric nets we compare, 164-foot rolls run from $171 to $399.99, such as the 42-inch Starkline PN42164 at $199.99. Energizers we list run $142 to $299. Electric fence controllers usually cost less than $1 a month to run (UGA). Browse every roll and charger in fencing and netting.

Safety and local rules

Don't touch electric fences, and talk to a doctor first if you have a pacemaker. Where the public has access, Clemson says to post warning signs every 300 feet. The sources we found don't give specific advice for children or pets. University of Kentucky says the charge should stun but not kill.

Electric fence rules vary by town. Albany, Oregon, for example, adopted an ordinance that limits electric fences to industrial zones. Check your local zoning office before you buy.

Which to pick

• You rotate birds on pasture: electric netting, with a properly sized energizer and good grounding.
• Small backyard in town: a permanent, buried, covered run, especially if your town limits electric fences.
• Hawks or owls are the main threat: neither alone. Cover the run.
• Tall grass and little time to mow: a permanent fence, since vegetation drains netting.

More on predators in protecting chickens from predators.

Sources

• University of Maryland Extension: identifying and preventing poultry predators (netting and ground predators, climbing, coyote jumping, buried apron, latches)
• Oregon State University Extension: Pastured Poultry 101 (day-range netting, moving, flying predators)
• University of Kentucky: predator management for small poultry flocks (aerial predators, stun not kill)
• University of Kentucky: proper grounding as part of an electric fencing system (how grounding completes the circuit)
• University of Georgia Extension: Fences for the Farm (vegetation shorting, approved chargers, dry weather, operating cost, woven wire heights)
• Virginia Tech Extension: selecting and installing an energizer (joules)
• USDA NRCS: Electric Fencing for Serious Graziers (grounding, ground rod per joule)
• Clemson University: electric fence safety (one energizer, pacemakers, warning signs)
• Penn State Extension: small-scale poultry housing (covered runs, burying depth, apron)
• USDA SARE: sliding electric fence for pastured poultry (labor of moving netting)
• City of Albany, Oregon: electric fence ordinance (local rules example)
• Premier1 PoultryNet 12/48/3 product page (roll weight, moving when grass covers hot strands)