6 Best Electric Netting For Hot Summers

That familiar crunch of dry grass under your boots is a sure sign that summer has settled in. While the sun is great for haymaking, it creates a serious challenge for one of our most important tools: electric netting. When the soil turns to dust, your fence’s effectiveness can plummet, turning a secure pasture into an open invitation for escape.

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Choosing Netting for Dry Summer Pastures

The biggest problem with electric fencing in summer isn’t the heat; it’s the lack of moisture. Electricity needs a complete circuit to deliver a shock, and that circuit usually runs from the hot wire, through the animal, into the soil, and back to the ground rod. Dry, dusty soil is a terrible conductor, which means the circuit is weak or broken, resulting in a fence that barely zaps.

This is why you’ll see experienced grazers talking about "positive/negative" or "pos/neg" netting. Instead of relying on the earth for grounding, these fences alternate hot wires with ground wires. An animal gets shocked by touching a hot wire and a ground wire at the same time, completing the circuit right at the fence line. It’s a game-changer for arid climates, rocky ground, or deep summer drought.

Beyond the electrical setup, consider the physical materials. Intense summer sun is brutal on plastics, causing posts to become brittle and polywires to degrade. Fences with high-quality, UV-stabilized components will far outlast cheaper options, saving you frustration and money in the long run.

Premier 1 ElectroNet 9/35/12: Proven Performer

When you need a fence that just works, this is often the benchmark. The ElectroNet 9/35/12 is a 35-inch tall net with nine horizontal strands, making it an ideal height for containing sheep and most goat breeds without being overly cumbersome to move. It’s a classic for a reason: the construction is solid and it holds up to repeated setups and takedowns.

Its real advantage for summer is the availability of a positive/negative version. This model is specifically designed to overcome poor grounding conditions. By wiring alternating strands to the positive and ground terminals of your energizer, you create a fence that is effective whether the ground is wet mud or dry powder. An animal simply has to bridge the gap between two strands to feel the full force of the charger.

This isn’t the tallest or cheapest net on the market, but its reliability is legendary. For anyone serious about rotational grazing through the entire season, investing in the pos/neg version provides peace of mind that cheaper, ground-dependent fences can’t match during a dry spell. It’s a professional-grade tool for the serious hobby farmer.

Starkline Pro 42" for Budget-Conscious Farms

Getting started in rotational grazing or expanding your paddocks can get expensive fast. Starkline offers a compelling option for those who need solid performance without the premium price tag. At 42 inches tall, it provides a bit more height than standard sheep nets, which can be a valuable confidence booster when containing more athletic goats or animals with calves at their side.

The main draw here is the excellent value. You get a well-made fence with decent materials and rigid vertical stays to reduce sagging, all at a very competitive price point. This makes it possible to buy multiple rolls to create larger enclosures or more complex paddock systems without breaking the bank.

The tradeoff is that most Starkline nets are standard positive-only systems. This means you are entirely responsible for creating a good ground. In the summer, this isn’t a passive task. It may require driving multiple 6-foot ground rods, connecting them with wire, and even pouring a bucket of water on them daily to maintain a connection with deeper soil moisture. It’s a great fence, but its summer performance depends heavily on your effort.

Gallagher SmartFence 2: Ultimate Portability

Sometimes, the best summer fence isn’t about electrical theory but pure, simple speed. The Gallagher SmartFence 2 is an all-in-one system with four strands, posts, and reels integrated into a single, easy-to-carry unit. You can set up or take down a 330-foot fence line in minutes, a massive advantage when you’re moving animals daily in the sweltering heat.

Its summer strength lies in management flexibility. Because it’s so fast to move, you can make micro-adjustments to your grazing plan, easily fencing off a patch of shade or creating a temporary lane to a water trough. This agility is crucial when pasture growth slows and you need to manage your resources with precision.

This is not a true "net," however. Its four strands are a psychological barrier best suited for cattle, horses, or well-trained sheep. It will not contain poultry or determined goats, and it offers minimal protection from predators. Think of it as a tool for rapid strip-grazing, not for setting up a semi-permanent, secure perimeter.

Powerfields P-89-G: Enhanced Grounding System

If your primary concern is guaranteed performance on dry, rocky, or otherwise non-conductive soil, this fence is designed from the ground up to solve that exact problem. The Powerfields P-89-G is a purpose-built positive/negative netting system. You don’t have to choose a special version; it comes standard this way.

The design is brilliantly simple. Every other horizontal strand is a ground wire, all tied together and ready to be connected to the ground terminal of your energizer. The remaining strands are hot. This configuration ensures that any animal pushing against the fence is almost certain to touch both a hot and a ground wire simultaneously, delivering a powerful, effective shock regardless of soil conditions.

This fence effectively removes the biggest variable of summer fencing: the ground itself. It provides the most consistent and reliable shock in drought conditions. The only real consideration is ensuring you hook it up correctly to your energizer—one lead to positive, one to ground. It’s the ultimate problem-solver for challenging terrain.

Kencove P-NET42: Superior UV-Resistance

The sun is a relentless force on the farm, slowly breaking down any plastic left exposed. Kencove has built a strong reputation by focusing on the longevity of its fencing materials, and their 42-inch netting is a prime example. This fence is built for farmers in high-sun environments who are tired of posts snapping after a few seasons.

The key feature is the quality of the UV-stabilized plastics used in the posts and the polywire insulators. While all netting has some UV protection, premium brands like Kencove invest in higher-grade polymers that resist becoming brittle and faded over time. This means fewer broken step-in posts and a longer functional lifespan for the entire net.

Choosing this fence is a long-term play. While its initial electrical performance as a standard positive fence depends on your grounding, its physical durability is its main selling point. If you plan to have your fences out in the pasture from May through September for years to come, investing in superior UV resistance will pay for itself by reducing the need for replacements.

Premier 1 PoultryNet Plus for Summer Grazing

Moving chickens, ducks, or turkeys across pasture is a hallmark of summer farming, but it comes with unique fencing challenges. You need to keep birds in and a host of clever predators out. The PoultryNet Plus is designed specifically for this task, with tighter spacing at the bottom to prevent birds from slipping through.

Like its sheep-and-goat counterpart, this net is available in a positive/negative version, which is absolutely critical for poultry. Predators like raccoons, weasels, and foxes are notoriously difficult to shock with ground-return systems. The pos/neg setup ensures they get a memorable zap the moment they try to climb or dig through the fence, providing a much higher level of security.

The 48-inch height is also an effective deterrent for most airborne predators, who are reluctant to land in a confined, "hot" space. While setting up a 164-foot roll of poultry netting can feel like wrestling an octopus at times, its effectiveness for both containment and protection during the predator-heavy summer months is unmatched.

Key Features for Hot, Dry Fencing Conditions

When the ground is baked hard and the grass is brown, your margin for error with electric fencing shrinks. The single most important feature to look for is a positive/negative wiring system. This design makes soil moisture irrelevant and is the most direct solution to the challenges of summer grazing.

Beyond that, several other features become much more important in the heat and sun. A good summer fence should have:

• Excellent UV-stabilization: To prevent posts and insulators from becoming brittle and breaking under the intense summer sun.
• High visibility: Bright white or orange polywire stands out against dormant, brown pasture, providing a better visual barrier for livestock.
• Rigid vertical stays: These plastic "struts" woven into the net prevent it from sagging between posts, which is crucial for maintaining proper wire tension and height.

Ultimately, the best fence is the one that matches your specific context. If you have great soil moisture year-round, a standard net with a robust grounding system might be fine. But for most of us who face a summer dry spell, investing in a positive/negative net with durable, UV-resistant materials is the smartest path to a secure, stress-free grazing season.

A reliable fence isn’t just about keeping animals in; it’s about giving you peace of mind. Choosing netting designed to handle the unique electrical and environmental stresses of summer ensures your system works when you need it most. That security allows you to focus on the health of your animals and pastures, not on chasing escapees.