Premier 1 PoultryNet Plus Starter Kit Review
A Premier 1 PoultryNet Plus starter kit review covering what is in the box, real predator protection, energizer output, and the vegetation problem.
The complete electric netting package, and the maintenance job nobody mentions until the fence stops working.
The verdict: This is the complete electric netting answer, netting plus posts plus a solar energizer plus a tester, from the company that most seriously keeps poultry behind electric fence. Buy it if you want to rotate birds onto fresh ground and you are willing to keep grass off the bottom wire. Skip it if you want a fence you install and forget, because unenergised netting is a suggestion rather than a barrier.
Premier 1 Supplies PoultryNet Plus Starter Kit for Chickens, 48 in H x 100 ft L
~$586
A 100 foot roll of 48 inch double-spiked PoultryNet Plus with four support posts, a SolarStop 80 energizer, ground rod, wiring harness and a digital fence tester.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Netting | 100 ft roll, 48 in high, double spiked, green and black |
|---|---|
| Support posts | 4 x 48 in FiberTuff posts included |
| Energizer | SolarStop 80 fence energizer included |
| Also included | Ground rod, wiring harness, digital fence tester |
| Intended stock | Chickens, ducks and other poultry, also usable for sheep and goats |
| Predators addressed | Raccoons, coyotes, foxes and dogs |
| Requirement stated by Premier 1 | Fence must be properly energized to be effective |
| Maintenance stated by Premier 1 | Routine vegetation control to reduce energy drain |
Specifications above come from Premier 1 Supplies' published product information. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- Everything needed to have a working, tested electric fence arrives in one box, including the tester most people forget to buy.
- Double spiked posts hold far better in soft or uneven ground than single spikes.
- Electric netting is the only backyard fencing that actively deters a climbing or digging predator rather than merely obstructing it.
- It moves. Rotating birds onto fresh ground is the cheapest parasite and mud control there is.
- A digital tester in the kit means you can confirm the fence is live instead of assuming it.
Where it falls short
- Premier 1 states it directly: the fence has to be properly energized to work. Netting that has lost its charge is a low obstacle that a fox will simply go through.
- Vegetation touching the lower strands drains the charge, so this is a fence with a recurring chore attached. In a wet growing season that chore is weekly.
- One hundred feet does not enclose as much as people expect. It gives roughly a 25 foot square, which is about 625 square feet of ground.
- Netting is not a roof. Hawks and owls are unaffected by it, so daytime aerial cover and a secure coop at night are still your responsibility.
- Chicks and small bantams can pass through or get tangled in poultry netting, so it suits birds that are past the brooder stage.
What owners report
Owner reports on Premier 1 netting are among the most consistent in the poultry category, and the consensus is that the product works and the user is the variable. People who keep the fence clear of grass and check the voltage report years of service and a clear reduction in daytime predator losses. People who set it up and never test it report exactly the failure Premier 1 warns about in the listing. The tester included in the kit exists because of this pattern.
The second recurring theme is handling. Electric netting is fiddly to move for the first few times and then becomes routine, and owners consistently advise folding it the same way every time to avoid tangles. Post breakage in stony or frozen ground comes up, which is what the extra FiberTuff posts in this kit are there to address.
How much ground 100 feet actually covers
One hundred feet of netting laid out as a square gives sides of about 25 feet and encloses roughly 625 square feet. At the usual planning figure of 8 to 10 square feet of outdoor space per standard bird that is generous for a small flock and tight for a large one, though the whole point of netting is that you move it rather than crowd it. Our space requirements chart gives the per-bird figures, and the chicken flock and egg calculator will tell you what your flock needs before you choose a roll length.
Netting or a fixed run
The real decision is not which netting to buy, it is whether you want a fence you move or a run you build. Netting gives fresh ground, better forage and less mud, at the cost of maintenance and the need for power. A fixed run gives you something that works with no attention at all and can be roofed against hawks. We set the two against each other in electric netting versus a fixed run, and if you are still deciding how much freedom your birds get, free ranging versus a run is the place to start. The full field of fencing options is in our best chicken fencing roundup.
Who it suits
- Keepers who want to rotate birds onto fresh grass rather than watch a fixed run turn to mud.
- Anyone losing birds to ground predators during daylight hours.
- People with enough open ground to move a fence line around.
- Buyers who would rather get the energizer, ground rod and tester in one purchase than assemble a kit themselves.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who will not keep vegetation off the fence, since that is what kills the charge.
- Keepers whose main predator threat is aerial, where a covered run is the answer.
- People with very young birds or small bantams that can slip through poultry netting.
- Anyone wanting a permanent boundary that also keeps birds out of a neighbour's garden without attention.
Alternatives worth considering
Premier 1 Supplies PoultryNet Electric Fence for Chickens, 48 in H x 164 ft L
~$227
Sixty per cent more netting for less than half the price, because there is no energizer, ground rod or tester in the box. The right choice only if you already own a working energizer, otherwise the saving is illusory.
Check price on AmazonRentACoop Poultry Netting Electric Fence, 48 in H x 168 ft L
~$240
A 168 foot roll with posts pre-attached every 12 feet, stakes and guy lines included, encloses well over 1,700 square feet. The energizer is sold separately, so budget for one, but it covers far more ground per dollar.
Check price on AmazonOmlet Chicken Fencing, High Poultry Netting with Door, 39 ft
~$229
Tall non-electric netting with a built-in gate, for keeping chickens where you want them without running a charge. Omlet states plainly that it is not predator proof and cannot be electrified, so choose it for containment, never for protection.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- Electric netting vs a fixed run
- Free ranging vs a run
- Chicken flock and egg calculator
- How much space chickens need
- Best chicken fencing
- Omlet chicken fencing review
- Land Guard hardware cloth review
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Editor's Pick ยท Affiliate link
An Automatic Coop Door, the Upgrade Keepers Regret Waiting On
Nearly every predator loss happens because a door was open at dusk or dawn. An automatic opener closes on a light sensor or timer whether or not you are home, which is the single biggest reduction in risk available to a small flock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does electric poultry netting actually stop predators?
It stops ground predators well when it is properly energized, which is the condition Premier 1 states outright in the listing. A raccoon or fox that touches a live fence learns quickly and avoids it. It does nothing about hawks and owls, and it does nothing at all if the charge has been drained by grass on the lower strands. Test the voltage regularly rather than assuming.
How much area does a 100 foot roll enclose?
Laid out as a square it gives sides of roughly 25 feet, so about 625 square feet of ground. That suits a small flock comfortably at the usual 8 to 10 square feet of outdoor space per bird. Most keepers who buy netting move it every week or two anyway, so the enclosed area matters less than how easy it is to shift.
Do I need to mow under electric netting?
Yes, and this is the maintenance job people underestimate. Premier 1 says it plainly: vegetation load on the fence drains energy. Grass touching the lower strands bleeds the charge away until the fence is no longer a deterrent. Strim the fence line before you set up, and keep on top of it through the growing season.
Is electric netting safe around children and pets?
A properly specified poultry energizer delivers a short, sharp pulse rather than a continuous current, and it is unpleasant rather than dangerous for a healthy person or dog. Use the warning sign supplied, site the fence away from where small children play unsupervised, and follow the energizer's own instructions. If anyone in the household has a cardiac device, take specialist advice before installing electric fence.
Electric netting or a fixed run: which should I choose?
Netting if you have open ground and want your birds on fresh grass, a fixed run if you want something that works with no attention and can be roofed against hawks. Netting wins on bird health and mud, the fixed run wins on reliability and aerial cover. Many keepers end up with both: a secure run attached to the coop and netting for daytime grazing.
Can chicks use electric netting?
Not while they are small. Chicks can pass straight through poultry netting and can become tangled in it, so netting suits birds that are grown enough not to fit through the mesh. Keep young birds in a brooder and then a secure run until they are large enough, and introduce them to the fence line while it is switched off so they learn where it is.
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