How to Choose the Right Electric Netting: Sheep and Goat/Utility Edition
How to Choose the Right Electric Netting: Sheep and Goat/Utility Edition
Selecting the right electric netting can be a bit challenging, especially with the variety of options available. Whether you're new to electric netting or an experienced homesteader, finding the best fit for your needs requires understanding the differences between various netting types and energizers. In this guide, we’ll help you pick the right netting to suit your homestead, focusing specifically on Starkline’s Utility and Premium Sheep & Goat netting.
The Basics: Electric Netting for All Experience Levels
Choosing electric netting can feel overwhelming, but Starkline offers a wide selection designed to meet different needs. Whether you're securing livestock, protecting gardens, or managing land, it’s important to know what will work best for you. In this blog, we’ll review our most popular netting options: the Starkline Utility Netting and the Premium Sheep & Goat Netting.
Utility and Premium Sheep & Goat Netting: Versatile and Durable
Both our Utility and Premium Sheep & Goat netting are customer favorites, thanks to their durability and versatility. The Premium Sheep & Goat netting is built specifically for these animals and features plastic vertical struts that provide extra sturdiness, especially helpful for keeping mischievous goats in line.
Our Utility netting is a more multi-purpose option, suitable for a range of animals such as sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, and more. It’s also a great choice for keeping larger garden pests like raccoons, rabbits, and foxes at bay. However, we do not recommend this netting for small climbers like squirrels or diggers like groundhogs. The animal needs to touch the netting while grounded to receive a shock, which makes it unsuitable for animals that can bypass it by climbing or digging.
Unlike our poultry netting, both the Premium Sheep & Goat and Utility nets feature larger openings and come with options for PVC or fiberglass posts, as well as varying lengths and heights. Let’s dive into the specifics so you can choose the right netting for your needs.
Premium Sheep & Goat Netting: Built for Strength
Our Premium Sheep & Goat Netting is 35” high and 164’ long, with 14 pre-installed fiberglass posts spaced at 12'6" intervals. This design makes the netting strong yet lightweight, allowing it to be easily adjusted or shortened by wrapping it around itself. For a visual guide, check out our “How to Shorten Your Electric Netting” video.
The fiberglass posts are sturdy and easy to transport, ideal for people who prefer not to handle heavier materials. This netting features 9 horizontal strands, 8 of which are conductive, and plastic vertical struts spaced every 7 inches. The black, non-conductive strand at the bottom allows the netting to sit on the ground without “grounding out” or losing efficiency. This design ensures the net remains taut and resistant to sagging, providing a reliable barrier for your livestock.
This netting is perfect for sheep and goats, especially for animals that may try to jump or push through barriers. We recommend training your livestock on the netting to prevent accidents or entanglement.
Utility Netting: Versatile and Adaptable
Our Utility Netting is available in two heights—35” and 42”—and two lengths—82’ and 164’. The shorter 82’ net comes with 7 fiberglass posts, while the longer 164’ version includes 14 posts. Like the Premium Sheep & Goat netting, these nets can be easily wrapped around themselves for shorter sections, and they feature fiberglass posts designed to stand firm on uneven terrain.
While the Utility netting lacks the plastic struts found in the Premium Sheep & Goat netting, it is made entirely of twisted polywire. It comes with 10 horizontal strands of twisted polywire and a black, non-conductive bottom strand to prevent grounding issues.
This netting works well for a variety of animals, including sheep, goats (even horned varieties), pigs, and hogs. For best results, we recommend pairing this netting with the S400 solar energizer, which can power up to three 164’ sections of netting.
Key Differences: Which Netting Is Right for You?
The main differences between the two options come down to material and size. The Premium Sheep & Goat Netting is more rigid thanks to the plastic vertical struts, making it an excellent choice for rowdy animals. It’s also available in a single size, while the Utility Netting offers more flexibility with multiple height and length options and is made entirely of twisted polywire.
