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Omlet Chicken Fencing Review: Read This First

An Omlet chicken fencing review covering height, the built-in gate, what 39 feet actually encloses, and why it is containment rather than protection.

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Tall, movable, and with a gate built in. Omlet also says in the listing that it is not predator proof, and that is the sentence that matters.

The verdict: This is the tallest movable non-electric chicken fencing on the market and the gate makes daily use genuinely pleasant, which is why people who own it keep it. Buy it to keep hens out of the vegetable beds and give them a defined area to range in. Skip it if you are buying fencing for predator protection, because Omlet states in the listing that this is not predator proof and cannot be electrified.

Best Non-Electric Fencing

Omlet Chicken Fencing, High Poultry Netting with Door, 39 ft

~$229

Extra-tall movable poultry netting with a built-in gate, supplied in a 39 foot length, with configurable layout and fixings.

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Specifications

Length 39 ft
Height Described by Omlet as the tallest moveable chicken fencing
Gate Built-in door, positionable anywhere in the run
Layout Length, layout and fixings all configurable
Electrification Not possible. Omlet states it cannot be electrified
Predator rating Omlet states it is not predator proof
On arrival Ships folded down the middle, creases settle out with use
Intended use Containing chickens and keeping them out of planted areas

Specifications above come from Omlet's published product information. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

  • Real height, which matters because most escapes from short fencing are simply hens flying over it.
  • A gate that you position where you want it, so you are not stepping over netting several times a day.
  • No energizer, no ground rod, no voltage to check, so there is nothing to maintain and nothing to fail.
  • Genuinely movable, so you can shift the birds onto fresh ground and rest a worn patch.
  • Safe around children and pets in a way an electrified fence is not.

Where it falls short

  • Omlet says it in the listing and it deserves repeating: this is not predator proof, and it cannot be electrified. A fox goes over or through netting like this without much difficulty.
  • Thirty-nine feet is a short roll. Laid as a square it gives sides of under 10 feet, roughly 95 square feet, so most keepers need more than one pack.
  • Non-electric netting relies on birds respecting it. Determined flyers, and light breeds in particular, will clear a fence they can see over.
  • It offers no protection from hawks, which take birds in broad daylight from open ground.
  • It arrives folded and creased. Omlet says the crease settles, but the first setup is fiddlier than the pictures suggest.

What owners report

Owners consistently report that this fencing does exactly what it is described as doing: it keeps hens where you put them and out of the borders, and the gate is the detail people say they would not go back from. Height is the other repeated point, with owners of flighty breeds noting they stopped finding birds on the wrong side of the fence. Setup is described as straightforward once the initial fold has relaxed.

The disappointment reports, and there are some, come from buyers who expected protection. Omlet is not hiding this, the listing states plainly that the fencing is not predator proof and cannot be electrified, but people shopping for a fence often assume any fence is a barrier. It is worth being blunt about it: if you have foxes, coyotes or free-roaming dogs, this is the wrong product to rely on, and no amount of height fixes that.

How much ground 39 feet gives you

Thirty-nine feet arranged as a square encloses about 95 square feet, which is roughly ten standard hens at 8 to 10 square feet each, but only if they are packed in and only if they are also getting time elsewhere. In practice most owners buy two or more packs and shape a larger area. The figures behind this are in our space requirements chart, and you can size the total area you need with the chicken flock and egg calculator.

Containment versus protection

These are two separate jobs and it is worth deciding which one you are buying. This fencing does containment well and does not attempt protection. Electric netting does both while demanding an energizer and regular vegetation control. A fixed run with hardware cloth does protection best and gives up flexibility entirely. We set the last two against each other in electric netting versus a fixed run, and the question of how much freedom to give the birds at all is covered in free ranging versus a run. If your night-time security is the weak link, read hardware cloth versus chicken wire and fix the coop first. The full range is in best chicken fencing.

Who it suits

  • Gardeners who want hens on the lawn and not in the raised beds.
  • Keepers with flighty breeds who need genuine height rather than a token barrier.
  • Households with young children or dogs where an electrified fence is not appropriate.
  • Anyone who wants a defined ranging area they can move around the garden.

Who should skip it

  • Anyone with fox, coyote or loose dog pressure, since Omlet states this is not predator proof.
  • Keepers looking for hawk protection, which needs a roof rather than a fence.
  • People wanting to enclose a large area cheaply, since 39 feet does not go far.
  • Anyone hoping to electrify it later, which Omlet states is not possible.

Alternatives worth considering

Predator Deterrent Alternative

Premier 1 Supplies PoultryNet Plus Starter Kit for Chickens, 48 in H x 100 ft L

~$586

Electric netting with the energizer, ground rod and tester included, which actively deters raccoons, coyotes, foxes and dogs rather than just containing hens. It costs more and needs the fence line kept clear of grass to keep working.

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Much More Ground

RentACoop Poultry Netting Electric Fence, 48 in H x 168 ft L

~$240

Similar money for over four times the length and it electrifies, enclosing more than 1,700 square feet. The energizer is a separate purchase, so factor that in, but the cost per foot is far lower.

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Fixed Run Alternative

Land Guard 19 Gauge Hardware Cloth, 1/2 inch, 48 in x 100 ft

~$80

If protection rather than containment is what you actually need, half inch hardware cloth on a fixed run is the answer, and it is cheaper than any netting. You lose the ability to move the birds onto fresh ground.

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Keep reading

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

Is Omlet chicken fencing predator proof?

No, and Omlet states this in the listing. It is designed to contain chickens in an area, not to keep predators out, and it cannot be electrified. Height helps against a casual dog but a fox will go over or through it. Use it to manage where your hens go, and rely on a properly built coop with hardware cloth for actual protection, especially at night when most losses happen.

How much area does 39 feet of fencing enclose?

Laid out as a square it gives sides of just under 10 feet and encloses roughly 95 square feet. That is a small area for a flock that will spend all day in it, so most owners buy several packs and shape a much larger run. Plan on 8 to 10 square feet of outdoor space per standard bird as the minimum before you decide how many packs you need.

Will chickens fly over this fence?

Far less often than over standard poultry netting, because height is the specific thing Omlet designed for here. Heavy breeds rarely bother. Light, flighty breeds such as Leghorns can clear surprising heights when motivated, and the usual answer is clipping the flight feathers of one wing, which unbalances flight without hurting the bird. Ask your vet or an experienced keeper to show you the first time.

Can I electrify Omlet chicken fencing?

No. The listing states it cannot be electrified. If you want an electrified boundary you need netting built for it, with conductive strands and compatible posts, plus an energizer and a ground rod. Trying to improvise electrification on non-conductive netting does not work and is not safe.

Non-electric fencing or electric netting: which do I need?

Ask what you are actually solving. If hens in the vegetable patch is the problem, non-electric fencing solves it with nothing to maintain. If losing birds to ground predators in daylight is the problem, only electrified netting addresses that, and it comes with an energizer to buy, a voltage to test and grass to keep off the bottom strands. Many keepers eventually run both, in different parts of the garden.

Does any fence stop hawks?

No fence does, because hawks come from above. The only real answers are overhead cover, whether that is netting stretched across the run, a solid roof, shrubs and trees the birds can dive under, or supervision. If you are losing birds in daylight with no sign of a ground breach, aerial predators are the likely explanation and a taller fence will not change it.

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