The Ultimate Guide to Using Electric Poultry Fencing

Photo of Kassandra Smith

Kassandra Smith

Senior Editor • Backyard Chicken Coops

Last Updated: 20 April 2018

More and more chicken keepers, from large flock runners to backyard chook ladies, are seeing the benefits of using an electric fence to keep their chooks secure. Portable electric poultry fencing is a smart addition to any chicken keeper’s essential items. Not only can an electric fence provide flexible and easy to set up chicken coop predator prevention, it can also protect other parts of your backyard, garden or property from pests such as possums, goats and wallabies and stop curious hens from pecking at your veggie patch.

chicken flock with electric poultry fencing

What can electric poultry fencing be used for?
  • Predator prevention
    • Electric poultry fencing helps keep coop predators such as foxes, quolls and wild dogs away from your foraging hens during the day and adds an extra layer of security to their coop at night.
  • Plant and garden protection
    • Possums, rabbits, feral pigs, feral deer and wallabies all pose a threat to our prized flower beds and vegetable gardens. An electric fence kit allows you to create a secure barrier around your plot, raised garden beds or veggie patch.
  • Curbing curious cluckers
    • Chickens are cute, it’s true, but they are also curious and fond of a peck! Keep your gardens safe from scratching and pecking from your meddlesome flock.
  • Goats and pigs and sheep, oh my!
    • This type of electric fence not only works with feathered friends! People with goats, sheep and pigs can all benefit from using a solar powered electric fence to move their flocks and herds, keep bucks, rams or boars separate and subdivide paddocks for effective grazing, plot regeneration and weed clearing.  

miniature goat in electric fencing

Is an electric fence kit easy to set up?

Setting up an electric poultry fencing kit is super easy thanks to its modularity. No need for an electrician, everything you need is in the kit, including a length of poultry fencing with sturdy poles attached, an earth stake, high quality solar energiser and even a repair kit for life’s little hiccups. The solar energiser allows you to set up your electric fence anywhere on your property without having to run mains power, extension leads or lugging around heavy lead storage batteries.

Start off by roughly mapping out where you want to position the gate. You can make any arrangement you like so that it suits your backyard! Surround your coop to protect your hens, make a barrier around your veggie garden or use it to keep your chickens in one area while they forage for tasty grubs and bugs! Make sure the grass at the base is kept trim to ensure your fencing doesn’t short out, the bottom line of the netting is not wired, so you have some space to work with.

isa brown chicken with electric fencing

Is an electric chicken fence safe for my family and other pets?

As with predators and garden pests – a shock from an electric chicken fence should deter your pet dog or cat from trying to get through. For humans, a shock from the fencing is more of a surprise than painful. Make sure your kids are aware of what the fencing does so they know that touching it would be unpleasant. If you have an overly curious toddler, dog or cat make sure you restrict their access to your electric chicken fence, whether electrified or not, as they could become tangled in the netting.

Looking for more ways to protect your backyard chickens? Have a peck at our ultimate guide to chicken coop predator prevention here. Power up your poultry protection with our predator prevention essentials here or browse our other essential chicken keeping accessories in our store.