Best solar charger and electric netting

I am finally ready to buy electric netting and a solar charger for my chickens.  Can I please get brand/model recommendations?  I've looked at the Premier 1 site and a Parmak charger on Amazon as well as a few others, but I'm not sure what I need.  Thanks.

Get bigger a bigger energizer than you think you need now so you can expand. You may not think you will expand, but if you do expand and have heavy weed interference, you'll be glad you got a larger energizer.

I agree get biggest charger you can. We got mid size and I wish it was bigger. The coyote only tried it once. Now we also have a dog.

I'd recommend Premier electronet over that available from Kencove, especially if you're going for the double-spike option.  Premier's is solid steel, while Kencove's is a fiberglass post with a second spike of steel connected with a plastic step panel, which has a terrible tendency to torque in hard and/or rocky soils.  Overall construction seems better with Premier's, too.  Kencove's works fine, but I prefer Premier.

That said, be sure you really want electronet before making the investment.  It has its uses, but in my opinion it's more trouble than it's worth.  

I've got a Stafix charger that works great, though I have nothing with which to compare it.  Used it for over 4 years nonstop without a hitch.  Generally speaking, chargers made in New Zealand are always worth the money.  And as mentioned by others, get the biggest you can.  Better too much oomph than not enough.

Wes Hunter wrote:That said, be sure you really want electronet before making the investment.  It has its uses, but in my opinion it's more trouble than it's worth.  

Could you elaborate?

Todd Parr wrote:Could you elaborate?

It's just a pain to use.  We use it (occasionally) when following certain birds behind the cows.  The cows leave a lot of residual forage, but unless the grass is cut short the electronet can't be pulled taut.  It hangs up on the clumps and such.  If you're up for going through with a weed-eater or scythe to clear the perimeter it'll work much better.  That said, I'm looking at this from a commercial farm perspective.

Right now I've got a batch of ducks in electronet, which works well because they're a flocking bird (unlike chickens) so they stay put, and really my current purpose is to just keep the birds mostly contained.

We have had chickens get caught up in the mesh and die.  Maybe that's an acceptable trade off.  

Wes Hunter wrote:

We have had chickens get caught up in the mesh and die.  Maybe that's an acceptable trade off.  

Mine are pets, so it isn't acceptable to me.  Thanks for the info.