8 Items for Cleaning and Storing Electric Poultry Netting

Leaving electric poultry netting out in the winter elements is a surefire way to shorten its lifespan and compromise your flock’s safety next spring. Mud, manure, and dead grass cling to the polywire, degrading the conductive filaments and making setup a tangled nightmare. Taking the time to properly clean, repair, and store your netting now ensures it delivers a reliable, predator-stopping shock when the warm weather returns.

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Why Cleaning and Storing Your Netting Matters

Electric poultry netting is a significant investment for any backyard flock or small-scale homestead. Leaving it exposed to freezing temperatures, heavy snow, and UV degradation over the winter brittle-packs the plastic struts and weakens the delicate stainless steel filaments woven into the polywire. When spring arrives, unrolling a neglected fence often reveals snapped wires and cracked posts that fail to keep predators out.

Dirt, dried mud, and chicken manure are more than just unsightly; they are highly conductive when wet. This organic buildup creates micro-shorts along the fence line, constantly draining voltage from your energizer and rendering the fence useless. A clean fence ensures that the electrical current travels exactly where it should, delivering a sharp, memorable bite to any curious raccoon or fox.

Proper storage also solves the universal headache of poultry netting: the dreaded, tangled mess. Netting that is thrown carelessly into a barn corner becomes a frustrating puzzle of knotted strings and bent metal spikes. Spending a little effort on maintenance now saves hours of sweat and frustration during the busy spring planting and brooding season.

Scrub Brush – Libman No. 14 Heavy Duty Brush

Scrubbing dried mud and chicken manure off delicate polywire requires a brush that is tough on grime but gentle on plastic fibers. A standard wire brush will shred the conductive metal filaments, while a soft kitchen sponge will wear out in seconds against the abrasive dirt. You need a dedicated utility brush that can get into the tight intersections of the net grid without causing structural damage.

The Libman No. 14 Heavy Duty Brush is the ideal tool for this task because of its stiff, recycled PET polymer bristles and ergonomic handle. The dual-groove handle design allows for a secure grip even when your hands are wet and soapy, preventing hand fatigue during a long cleaning session. Its pointed nose easily reaches into the tight angles where the horizontal polywires meet the vertical plastic struts.

When using this brush, avoid scrubbing with excessive downward pressure directly over the metal filaments, as repeated harsh scraping can fray the polywire over time. Instead, use light, sweeping strokes along the direction of the wire to lift away caked-on debris. This brush is perfect for anyone cleaning standard 100-foot or 164-foot poultry nets, though those with arthritis might find the stiff bristles require a bit more wrist strength to maneuver.

• Bristle Material: Extra-stiff polymer fibers
• Handle Design: Ergonomic rubber grip with thumb rest
• Best For: Scrubbing dried manure, mud, and algae off polywire and fiberglass posts

Hose Nozzle – Bon-Aire Original Ultimate Nozzle

Rinsing away loosened grime and soapy residue from hundreds of tiny mesh squares requires a steady, high-volume stream of water. A cheap plastic nozzle will leak, crack when dropped on gravel, or fail to provide the targeted pressure needed to blast mud out of the woven fibers. A heavy-duty, adjustable nozzle turns a standard garden hose into a powerful cleaning tool without the risk of damaging the netting with a pressure washer.

The Bon-Aire Original Ultimate Nozzle stands out with its rugged, aircraft-grade aluminum construction and classic fire-hose design. It features a unique shut-off valve that eliminates leaks and allows you to adjust the spray pattern smoothly from a soft mist to a powerful, concentrated jet. This durability is essential on a working homestead where tools are routinely dropped on concrete or stepped on by livestock.

Keep in mind that this nozzle is relatively heavy compared to plastic alternatives, which can tire your forearm during extended use. It also requires a high-quality rubber hose to handle the backpressure generated by the high-velocity stream without kink-blocking. It is an excellent fit for farmers who value lifetime durability, but it may be overkill for someone with only a single, short length of garden fence to clean.

• Material: Aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel
• Spray Patterns: Infinite adjustments from mist to jet
• Best For: Blasting stubborn mud clots out of woven mesh and washing down metal spikes

Biodegradable Soap – Dawn Ultra Free & Clear

Cleaning farming equipment always carries the risk of runoff contaminating your pasture or vegetable beds. Harsh chemical detergents can strip the UV-resistant coatings from the netting’s plastic components and leave toxic residues that harm your soil biology. You need a soap that cuts through stubborn grease and organic matter while remaining completely safe for the surrounding environment.

Dawn Ultra Free & Clear is highly recommended because it delivers industrial-strength grease-cutting power without dyes, heavy perfumes, or phosphates. It breaks down the lipid-heavy organic compounds found in poultry manure and soil oils with minimal scrubbing. Because it is biodegradable, the wash water can safely drain directly onto your lawn or pasture without yellowing the grass or harming beneficial soil microbes.

A little goes a long way with this concentrated formula, so avoid pouring it directly onto the netting to prevent excessive sudsing that takes forever to rinse off. Mix a few tablespoons into a five-gallon bucket of warm water for the perfect cleaning solution. This soap is perfect for environmentally conscious farmers, though those dealing with heavy mineral scaling from hard water may need to supplement it with a splash of white vinegar.

• Formula: Biodegradable, dye-free, and hypoallergenic
• Concentration: Ultra-concentrated for high-yield dilution
• Best For: Breaking down greasy chicken manure and organic grime safely on pastures

Storage Tote – Rubbermaid Roughneck 31 Gallon

Once your poultry netting is clean and dry, storing it loose in a barn or shed invites nesting rodents to chew through the plastic struts and polywires. Mice love the soft, woven material for nesting, and a single winter of rodent damage can ruin hundreds of dollars of fencing. A sturdy, sealed container keeps your investment safe from pests, moisture, and dust until the next season.

The Rubbermaid Roughneck 31 Gallon tote is built specifically to withstand the brutal temperature swings of unheated barns and outbuildings without cracking. Unlike cheap, brittle plastic storage boxes, the Roughneck is made from a durable, impact-resistant polyethylene that flexes under pressure. Its snap-on lid fits tightly enough to keep out mice, spiders, and moisture, while the built-in handles make it easy to carry even when loaded with heavy netting.

A 31-gallon tote comfortably holds one standard 164-foot roll of poultry netting or two 100-foot rolls along with their integrated posts. Be sure to dry the netting completely before sealing the lid, as any trapped moisture will breed mold and corrode the metal components over the winter. This tote is a must-have for anyone storing gear in unheated outbuildings, though it may take up significant shelf space in smaller garden sheds.

• Capacity: 31 Gallons
• Material: Impact-resistant, low-temperature polyethylene
• Best For: Rodent-proof, moisture-resistant winter storage of folded poultry nets

Utility Straps – Nite Ize Gear Tie 18-Inch

Keeping a folded bundle of poultry netting from unravelling during transport and storage is a constant struggle. Rope and twine tend to knot up or rot in damp environments, while cheap zip ties are single-use and create plastic waste. Reusable utility straps are the secret to keeping your posts and netting bound tightly together in a neat, manageable package.

The Nite Ize Gear Tie 18-Inch features a tough, bendable wire interior encased in a grippy, durable rubber exterior that won’t slip or scratch your equipment. These ties can be twisted, untwisted, and reused thousands of times without losing their holding power or cracking in the cold. The 18-inch length is the sweet spot for wrapping around a bundled roll of netting and securing the fiberglass posts tightly to the fabric.

Ensure you twist the ties snugly but avoid over-tightening them around the delicate polywire, as excessive crushing force can pinch and damage the inner metal filaments. Two ties per roll—one near the top and one near the bottom—are usually sufficient to keep everything secure. These are perfect for farmers who value quick, tool-free organization, though they can easily be misplaced in tall grass if you aren’t careful.

• Length: 18 Inches
• Material: Tough rubber shell over a bendable steel wire core
• Best For: Bundling folded netting and securing fiberglass posts together

Polywire Repair – Premier 1 Litzclip Connectors

No matter how careful you are, predators, falling branches, or accidental mower snags will eventually break your polywires. Simply tying the broken ends together in a knot creates a high-resistance point that blocks the electrical current and weakens the fence’s overall shock. To maintain a strong, continuous current, you need a specialized repair fitting that ensures a solid metal-to-metal connection.

Premier 1 Litzclip Connectors are the gold standard for quick, tool-free polywire repair in the field. These clever plastic and metal clips allow you to slide the broken wire ends into a secure slot and lock them down with a simple sliding sleeve. They establish a perfect electrical bridge between the tiny stainless steel filaments without requiring you to strip, twist, or tie the wire.

These connectors are designed specifically for standard polywire and will not work on wider polytape or thick high-tensile wire. Always leave a tiny bit of slack in the repaired section so the tension of the fence doesn’t pull the wire out of the clip under wind load. They are an essential addition to any poultry keeper’s repair kit, though they are small enough to be easily lost in a pocket, so keeping them in a designated container is wise.

• Compatibility: Standard polywire up to 3mm in diameter
• Mechanism: Patented sliding lock sleeve for tool-free installation
• Best For: Restoring electrical conductivity and physical strength to broken fence lines

Contact Cleaner – WD-40 Specialist Spray

The metal clips, gate hooks, and energizer connection points on your poultry netting are constantly exposed to moisture, soil, and animal waste. Over time, this exposure leads to corrosion and rust buildup that acts as an insulator, choking off the electrical current from your energizer. Regular maintenance of these metal-on-metal contact points is crucial for keeping your fence operating at peak voltage.

WD-40 Specialist Contact Cleaner is formulated to blast away dirt, dust, and light corrosion from sensitive electrical components without leaving a sticky residue. Unlike standard WD-40, which leaves a lubricating film that can actually attract dust in a dusty barn environment, this specialist spray evaporates almost instantly. It penetrates deep into the microscopic crevices of your fence connectors to restore clean, metal-to-metal contact.

Because this spray is highly flammable and fast-evaporating, always ensure your fence energizer is completely turned off and disconnected before application. Spray the connectors thoroughly, let the fluid run off to carry away dissolved grime, and wait a few minutes for it to dry completely before reconnecting the power. This is an indispensable tool for maintaining high-voltage output, but it will not repair physically broken metal parts that require replacement.

• Formulation: Quick-drying, non-conductive electronic cleaner
• Residue: Leaves zero residue to prevent dust accumulation
• Best For: Cleaning energizer terminals, fence clips, and jumper cable clamps

Dead Blow Mallet – Tekton 16-Ounce Mallet

Driving the metal spikes of poultry netting posts into dry, frozen, or rocky soil is a common cause of bent posts and shattered plastic caps. Using a standard steel hammer will quickly deform the metal tips and split the fiberglass shafts under the impact. A specialized mallet delivers the necessary force to seat the posts securely without damaging the fence components.

The Tekton 16-Ounce Dead Blow Mallet is the perfect tool for this job because its head is filled with steel shot that eliminates rebound upon impact. This design transfers maximum energy directly into the post spike, making it much easier to drive posts into tough ground with fewer swings. The durable polyurethane casing prevents spark-generation and won’t mar or chip the fiberglass posts or metal spikes.

While highly effective, a dead blow mallet is not a substitute for a heavy sledgehammer in extremely rocky soil; forcing a post into solid rock will still bend the spike regardless of the mallet used. For best results, use steady, moderate swings rather than wild, heavy blows to ensure the post goes in straight. This mallet is a fantastic asset for any farmer setting up temporary fencing, but it may feel slightly heavy for users accustomed to lightweight rubber mallets.

• Weight: 16 Ounces
• Construction: Steel shot-filled head with a protective polyurethane jacket
• Best For: Driving fiberglass and metal fence posts into hard ground without damage

Step-by-Step Guide to Washing Poultry Netting

Begin by laying your dirty poultry netting out flat on a clean, sloped surface like a driveway or a large tarp on the lawn. Avoid working directly on bare dirt, as you will end up splashing more mud onto the netting as you wash it. Connect your hose with the adjustable nozzle and give the entire length of the fence a thorough pre-rinse to knock loose heavy mud clumps and dried manure.

Mix a generous squirt of biodegradable soap into a five-gallon bucket of warm water until it is nice and sudsy. Working in ten-foot sections, dip your heavy-duty scrub brush into the soapy water and gently scrub the horizontal polywires and vertical struts. Focus extra attention on the bottom six inches of the netting, which typically gathers the most soil splash and organic debris from the pasture floor.

Once a section is scrubbed, rinse it immediately with a high-pressure spray from your hose nozzle before the soap can dry on the fibers. Flip the entire net over and repeat the scrubbing and rinsing process on the opposite side to ensure no hidden dirt remains. Finally, drape the clean netting over a clean pasture fence, sawhorses, or a clothesline to air dry completely in the sun before attempting to roll or store it.

How to Fold and Store Your Netting Without Tangling

The secret to a frustration-free spring setup lies in how you gather and fold your netting at the end of the season. Start at one end of the fence line and pull the first post out of the ground, holding it vertically in your hand. Walk to the second post, gather the netting neatly between them, and place the second post directly against the first one in your hand.

Continue walking down the line, gathering each subsequent post into your hand so that the netting folds back and forth on itself like an accordion. Once all the posts are gathered together, lay the bundle flat on the ground with the posts on one side and the folded netting on the other. Carefully roll the folded netting fabric tightly around the bundle of posts, keeping the tension even throughout the roll.

Secure the rolled bundle tightly near both ends using your reusable rubber utility straps to prevent the posts from sliding out or the netting from unravelling. Place the secured bundle gently into your heavy-duty storage tote, ensuring the metal ground spikes are pointing away from the sides of the tote to prevent punctures. Store the sealed tote in a dry, rodent-free area like a barn loft or garage shelf until spring.

Inspecting Your Netting for Damage Before Spring

Winter storage is the perfect time to perform a detailed inspection of your netting so you aren’t caught off guard during the spring rush. Unroll the dry netting on a clean surface and inspect every single horizontal polywire for frays, breaks, or missing metal filaments. Pay close attention to the bottom wires, which are most vulnerable to chewing rodents, weed eater nicks, and heavy tension wear.

Examine the vertical plastic struts and the fiberglass posts for any signs of cracking, splintering, or UV damage. Check that the metal ground spikes are straight and securely attached to the bottom of the posts, using your mallet to gently straighten any slightly bent spikes. If you find any broken polywires, use your repair clips to restore electrical conductivity immediately rather than waiting for setup day.

Finally, inspect all metal connection clips, gate hooks, and energizer lead wires for rust or corrosion. Spray any tarnished metal parts with contact cleaner and wipe them down with a clean rag to ensure maximum conductivity. Once everything is repaired, cleaned, and verified, re-bundle the netting and seal it back in its storage tote, ready for immediate, trouble-free deployment in the spring.

Taking the time to properly clean, repair, and store your electric poultry netting is a simple chore that pays massive dividends in the spring. By protecting your investment from winter weather and destructive pests, you ensure your flock remains safe and secure behind a highly conductive, reliable barrier. Grab these essential tools now, clear off a spot on the driveway, and get your gear ready for another successful season of pasture-raised poultry.