6 Best Portable Electric Netting For Chickens In Gardens That Protect Veggies
Explore the top 6 portable electric nets for chickens. These fences safely contain your flock while protecting valuable garden vegetables from foraging.
You’ve spent weeks nurturing those tomato plants from seed, and the cabbages are finally starting to head up. Then one afternoon, you discover the feathered demolition crew has struck. Your chickens, in their relentless search for bugs and tasty greens, have turned a corner of your vegetable garden into a dust-bathing spa and salad bar. This is a classic hobby farm dilemma: how to let your flock forage freely without sacrificing your harvest. Portable electric netting offers a powerful, flexible solution that keeps your birds safe and your veggies intact.
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Why Use Electric Netting for Garden Protection?
Electric netting isn’t just a fence; it’s a psychological barrier. Unlike a simple physical barrier that a determined chicken might fly over or a predator might climb, the electric pulse provides a sharp, memorable deterrent. A single zap is usually enough to teach both your flock and local critters like raccoons, foxes, and even deer to give the boundary a wide berth.
The real magic for a garden setup is its portability. You can fence off your spring peas in May, move the netting to protect your ripening corn in July, and then use it to contain the chickens for post-harvest cleanup in the fall. This flexibility allows you to practice rotational grazing on a small scale, giving patches of your yard or pasture a rest while protecting specific areas. It’s a dynamic tool that adapts to the changing seasons of your garden.
This system works by creating an open circuit. When an animal touches a conductive horizontal strand while standing on the ground, it completes the circuit and receives a short, safe, but unpleasant shock. It’s a far more effective containment method than flimsy poultry netting and much easier to move than permanent wire fencing, striking a perfect balance for the busy hobby farmer.
Premier 1 PoultryNet Plus: A Reliable Classic
Easily contain poultry and deter predators with this portable 48" electric fence. Its quick setup and 2" x 3" mesh keep birds in and unwanted animals out.
When you ask around about poultry netting, Premier 1 is the name that comes up again and again. Their PoultryNet Plus is the workhorse of the industry for a reason. It’s a well-made, reliable product that has been refined over years of real-world use on thousands of farms. At 48 inches tall, it’s high enough to contain most common breeds, from docile Orpingtons to busy Rhode Island Reds.
The key feature that sets it apart is the double-spiked posts. On soft or uneven ground, a single-spike post can lean, causing the net to sag and potentially short out on the grass. The double-spike design provides a much more stable footing, keeping the net taut and effective. The vertical lines are non-conductive, providing structure without wasting energy, while the horizontal lines carry the pulse.
The main consideration with this net is proper setup. It performs best when the lines are kept tight, so you need to take the time to brace the corners well and walk the line to ensure the posts are secure. If you’re lazy with the installation, it will sag. But for a dependable, long-lasting fence that does exactly what it promises, the PoultryNet Plus is the benchmark against which others are measured.
Starkline 48" Netting for Taller Breeds
Starkline offers a fantastic alternative that often feels a bit more robust right out of the box. Their 48-inch netting is particularly well-suited for anyone with more "athletic" breeds like Leghorns, Hamburgs, or any bird that has a tendency to test boundaries. The extra height provides a significant visual and physical deterrent for potential escapees.
One of Starkline’s strengths is the construction of its posts and the overall rigidity of the system. The posts often feel a little stiffer than some competitors, which helps maintain tension across the length of the fence with less fiddling. The netting also features a tighter weave at the bottom, which is a crucial detail. This helps prevent smaller birds from squeezing through and offers a bit more defense against weasels or other small predators trying to sneak in at ground level.
You might pay a small premium for Starkline compared to budget options, but the investment often pays for itself in peace of mind. If you’ve ever spent an afternoon chasing a rogue hen out of your neighbor’s flower beds, you understand the value of a fence that simply works. For those with flighty birds or who just want an extra degree of security, Starkline is a top contender.
Gallagher SmartFence: A Rigid, All-In-One Kit
The Gallagher SmartFence is a completely different approach to portable fencing. Instead of a floppy net, it’s an all-in-one system with four polywires, rigid posts, and a geared reel. Think of it less as a net and more as an instant, 10-post, 4-strand electric fence that you can set up or take down in under five minutes. This is its superpower: unmatched speed and convenience.
This system virtually eliminates the biggest frustrations of traditional netting—sagging and tangling. Because the posts are rigid and the wires are tensioned by the reel, it stands perfectly straight even on hilly terrain. For moving chickens daily or setting up a temporary barrier for just a few hours, nothing beats the SmartFence for pure, unadulterated speed. It’s a brilliantly engineered piece of kit.
However, the design comes with a significant tradeoff. The gaps between the four wires are much larger than the squares of a traditional net. While it’s excellent for containing larger fowl and deterring predators like coyotes, it is not suitable for small birds, young chicks, or for keeping out smaller predators like weasels. It’s also one of the most expensive options per foot. You’re paying for convenience, not for impenetrable security.
Kencove Electric Netting: A Budget-Friendly Pick
For the homesteader who needs to cover a lot of ground without breaking the bank, Kencove is the go-to. Their electric netting is a no-frills, functional product that delivers the essential electric pulse at a very attractive price point. If you need to buy several rolls to create a large paddock or protect a long garden edge, the savings can be substantial.
The fence does its job. It will contain your chickens and deter most predators just as effectively as more expensive brands, because the shock from a good energizer is the same regardless of the brand name on the netting. It’s a practical choice for getting started with electric fencing or for applications where you need quantity over premium features.
The cost savings come from compromises in materials and design. The posts are often single-spiked and may be more flexible, requiring more careful placement to avoid sagging. The netting material itself can feel a bit lighter and may be more prone to tangling if you’re not meticulous when rolling it up. It’s a perfectly viable option, but it demands more patience and care from the user.
RentACoop Poultry Fence: Ideal for Easy Setup
RentACoop has carved out a niche by focusing on the beginner and backyard chicken keeper. Their products are designed with user-friendliness as the top priority. If the thought of setting up a complex fence system is intimidating, this is a great place to start. The kits often come with everything you need, including a simple gate system that is easy for anyone in the family to use.
The defining feature is simplicity. The posts are pre-threaded into the netting, the instructions are clear, and the whole package is designed to go from the box to a functional fence with minimal hassle. This makes it perfect for protecting a small garden plot in a suburban backyard or for people who need to move their flock’s enclosure every few days without a fuss.
This ease of use means it may not be the most heavy-duty option on the market. For containing a small, calm flock of Buff Orpingtons, it’s perfect. If you’re managing a large, boisterous flock on a windy hillside with high predator pressure, you might want to look at a more robust system like those from Premier 1 or Powerfields. But for its intended purpose, RentACoop delivers an accessible and stress-free experience.
Powerfields P-89 Netting for Tough Conditions
If your property includes rocky soil, high winds, or just generally tough terrain, Powerfields netting is built to handle it. This is the heavy-duty option for when standard-issue posts just won’t cut it. The focus here is on durability and stability above all else.
Powerfields often uses thicker, more rigid PVC or fiberglass posts that resist bending and provide a much stronger backbone for the fence line. Combined with robust, drive-in double-spiked bases, these posts can be set securely in ground conditions that would leave other fences leaning. This makes it an excellent choice for semi-permanent installations or for areas that are constantly battered by the elements.
This ruggedness comes with a bit of extra weight, making it slightly less "portable" than lighter-duty options. It’s also a bit more of a workout to install, as driving the beefier posts takes more effort. However, if you’re tired of fences that sag, droop, or get knocked over by a strong gust of wind, the extra effort and expense for a Powerfields system is a worthwhile investment in stability.
Choosing the Right Energizer for Your Netting
Your brand-new electric netting is just a flimsy, expensive garden fence until you hook it up to a proper energizer. This is the heart of the system, and skimping here is a common and costly mistake. The energizer, or "fencer," is what converts power into the high-voltage, low-amperage pulse that makes the fence effective.
You have three main power sources to choose from, each with clear pros and cons:
- AC (Plug-in): If your garden is within reach of an outlet, this is your most reliable and powerful option. It delivers a consistent pulse day and night, in any weather.
- DC (Battery): This offers good portability and is more reliable than solar in cloudy regions. The downside is you have to haul a marine-style deep-cycle battery around and remember to recharge it.
- Solar: The ultimate in "set it and forget it" portability. Perfect for remote pastures or rotating chickens far from the house. The tradeoff is a higher initial cost and reduced performance after several days of dark, rainy weather.
When shopping, look at the energizer’s joule rating, which measures the energy of the pulse. For poultry netting, which is notorious for touching wet grass and weeds (a process called "grounding" that drains power), you need a low-impedance energizer with enough punch. A good rule of thumb is to look for a unit with at least 0.25 joules, and preferably 0.50 joules or more, especially for longer nets or weedy conditions. Always buy an energizer rated for more fence than you plan to use; it’s better to have too much power than not enough.
Ultimately, the best portable electric netting is the one that fits your land, your birds, and your budget. Each option presents a different balance of convenience, durability, and cost. By understanding these tradeoffs, you can choose a system that transforms from a simple fence into a strategic tool, allowing you to manage your flock and protect your garden with confidence and flexibility.
