6 Best Temporary Fence Guides For Poultry Pasture Rotation On Small Acreage
Explore our guide to the 6 best temporary fences for poultry pasture rotation. We compare top options for small acreage, from cost to predator-proofing.
Watching your flock of chickens spread out over fresh pasture is one of the great rewards of raising poultry on a small acreage. But without the right fencing, that idyllic scene can quickly turn into a management headache. The key to successful pasture rotation isn’t just moving the birds; it’s having a system that makes the move simple, secure, and effective.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
Why Pasture Rotation Needs Temporary Fencing
Pasture rotation is about more than just giving your chickens a new patch of grass. It’s a fundamental practice for breaking parasite life cycles, as moving the flock prevents the buildup of pathogens in one spot. This simple act drastically improves flock health and reduces the need for chemical interventions.
Effective rotation also gives the land time to recover. Chickens can be hard on a pasture, scratching and foraging until it’s bare. Temporary fencing allows you to create paddocks, moving the birds on before they cause permanent damage and giving the forage a chance to regrow, which means better nutrition for your birds and healthier soil for your property.
The "temporary" part is what makes it all work on a small scale. Permanent fences lock you into a rigid system that can’t adapt to changing seasons or forage growth. Temporary systems give you the flexibility to create paddocks of any size, anywhere you need them, responding to the land’s needs instead of forcing the land to conform to your infrastructure.
Premier 1 PoultryNet Plus: The Gold Standard
When it comes to all-in-one electric netting, Premier 1 is the name everyone knows for a reason. Their PoultryNet Plus is a complete system in a bag, with posts pre-installed in the netting. You just unroll it, step the posts into the ground, and connect your energizer. It’s about as close to "plug-and-play" as fencing gets.
The real value is in the details. The vertical lines are non-conductive, which helps prevent the fence from shorting out on itself, and the double-spiked posts provide excellent stability in most soil types. This system is incredibly effective at containing poultry while also deterring ground-based predators like raccoons, foxes, and stray dogs.
The tradeoff is cost. Premier 1 is an investment, and you’re paying for the convenience, reliability, and thoughtful design. But if your biggest constraint is time, the minutes you save with each move add up quickly, making it a worthwhile expense for many busy homesteaders. It’s a system that simply works, right out of the box.
Starkline Electric Netting: A Durable Choice
Starkline offers a compelling alternative to the top-tier brands, often at a more accessible price point. Their electric netting is known for its robust construction, featuring heavy-duty posts and a tight-weave design. This makes it a great choice for those who need a fence that can stand up to more challenging conditions or frequent moves.
Where Starkline shines is its durability. The posts often feel more substantial, and the overall build quality inspires confidence. While the setup is nearly identical to other netting systems, some users find the materials a bit stiffer, which can be a pro or a con depending on your perspective. It holds its shape well but might be slightly less forgiving to roll up.
Think of Starkline as the workhorse option. It may lack some of the refined features of premium brands, but it delivers on the core promise of a secure, effective electric poultry fence. For anyone prioritizing long-term durability over ultimate convenience, Starkline is a fantastic and reliable choice.
Zareba Step-In Posts for Custom Paddock Sizes
Sometimes, a pre-made net is too restrictive. If you’re working with odd-shaped areas, navigating around trees, or creating very small, specific paddocks, a custom setup using step-in posts and polywire is the most flexible solution. Zareba is a widely available brand of fiberglass or plastic step-in posts that are lightweight and easy to install.
Building your own fence this way allows for complete control. You decide the height and spacing of the strands, which is perfect for managing different types of poultry or accommodating uneven terrain. You can run three strands for chickens or add a fourth, lower strand if you’re also containing chicks. This approach is also typically the most budget-friendly way to get started.
The downside is time and effectiveness. Stringing multiple lines of polywire takes significantly longer than unrolling a net, and it’s a less visible barrier for the birds, meaning they may test it more often. It also offers less protection against smaller predators that can slip between the wires. It’s a system that trades the speed of a net for ultimate customization and lower cost.
Gallagher SmartFence 2: All-in-One System
The Gallagher SmartFence 2 is a different beast entirely. It’s an integrated, four-wire system with posts, reels, and wire all contained in a single, brilliantly designed unit. For those who move their flock daily or need to set up a long, straight fence line in minutes, this system is a game-changer.
Setup and takedown are incredibly fast. You walk the line, stepping in the posts as they unspool from the reels. To take it down, you simply wind the reels back up, and the whole system collapses into a compact, easy-to-carry unit. There’s no tangling, no mess, and the time savings are enormous.
However, this system is not a net. It’s a multi-strand wire fence, so it won’t contain very small birds and offers less of a physical barrier to predators than netting does. It’s also a significant investment. The SmartFence is the perfect tool for a specific job: rapidly deploying and removing fence lines for disciplined, daily-move grazing systems.
Omlet Chicken Fencing: A Non-Electric Option
Give your chickens more space with this 39ft, extra-high poultry netting. The flexible design allows for customized layouts and includes a convenient, repositionable gate for easy access.
Not everyone wants or needs an electric fence. For those with very calm breeds, in areas with low predator pressure, or with young children playing nearby, a non-electric barrier like the Omlet Chicken Fencing is an excellent solution. It’s designed purely for containment, not exclusion.
This fencing uses lightweight poles and flexible netting to create a secure enclosure. A key feature is the gate system, which is integrated directly into the fence line, making access to your flock simple and convenient. The Omlet system is best for creating a daytime "playpen" or sectioning off a part of your yard you want to protect from scratching, like a garden bed.
It’s crucial to understand its limitations. This fence will not stop a determined raccoon, fox, or even a persistent dog. It is a visual and physical barrier for your chickens only. If predator protection is a primary concern, you must look to an electrified option or ensure your birds are in a secure coop at night.
Kencove Power-Grip Posts for Rocky Ground
Anyone who has tried to push a standard step-in post into dry, rocky, or compacted soil knows the frustration of bent spikes and broken plastic. This is where heavy-duty posts designed for tough conditions become essential. Kencove’s Power-Grip posts are a prime example of a component built for the real world.
These posts are thicker, more rigid, and often feature a more substantial metal spike and a wider step-in for better leverage. They are designed to be driven into ground that would defeat lesser posts. While you can use them for a full fence line, they are also perfect for reinforcing the corners of an electric net, which are the highest-tension points.
Using specialized posts like these is part of building a resilient system. You might use standard posts for 90% of your fence but swap in a few Power-Grip posts for a problematic rocky section or for all your corners. It’s about adapting your tools to the unique challenges of your specific piece of land.
Choosing the Right Energizer for Your Fence
A temporary fence is only as good as the shock it delivers, and that comes down to the energizer. The single most important factor for electric netting is a low-impedance, high-joule energizer. Netting has a lot of wire and is prone to touching wet grass, which drains power, so you need a charger strong enough to overcome that "load" and still deliver a corrective shock. Don’t skimp here.
You have three main power options: AC, DC, and solar. AC-powered (plug-in) energizers offer the most reliable and powerful output for the lowest cost, but you need to be near an outlet. DC (battery-powered) units are portable but require you to keep a deep-cycle marine battery charged.
Solar energizers are the most popular choice for pasture rotation because they combine a DC battery with a solar panel for a self-contained, portable unit. While convenient, they are the most expensive option and their output can be limited by cloudy weather. A good rule of thumb is to buy an energizer rated for more fence than you plan to use; a 0.5-joule unit is a solid starting point for a couple of rolls of netting.
Keep livestock safe with the Andmon Solar Electric Fence Charger. This portable, easy-to-install energizer powers up to 2 miles of fencing and features a rotating design for optimal solar charging in any direction.
When choosing, consider your workflow. If you can set up your paddock near a barn, an AC unit is a powerful, low-maintenance choice. If you’re moving out to a back pasture, a solar unit’s go-anywhere convenience is hard to beat, just be sure it has enough power to do the job right.
Ultimately, the best temporary fence is the one you will actually use consistently. Whether it’s the all-in-one convenience of a net or the custom flexibility of polywire, the goal is the same: healthier birds, healthier soil, and a more resilient homestead. Start with a system that fits your budget and your land, and don’t be afraid to adapt it as you learn what works best for you and your flock.
