I think your observations based on experience are good ones. For poultry netting to be used as a permanent fence is likely going to require some modifications. The corners will need to be braced, gates considered and then there is the weed issue. If put up and left in place, the grass and weeds need to be killed. Weed eating isn't really an option. Two ways I know of to kill the grass are to use chemical sprays........like Roundup. I don't want anything I eat downstream of that eating that stuff, so I don't spray. A second option is to mulch it out. You can cut the grass down to almost bare dirt, then lay down a layer of newspapers or other impervious mulch, then a layer of mulch or similar over that to create a long term, weed free barrier. You sill have to mow up one side and down the other to keep weeds and grass away from it. I had crab grass heads reach as high as 2 or 3 feet this summer, before they would lay over onto my fence. So you have to keep a wide barrier in place. That also helps birds and predators realize the barrier boundary.
Used as temp fence, it works well. Get out a mower, grind the weeds and grass down to dirt and you will have a week or two of worry free use. Then either move it or move it to the side and repeat.
My experience is the poultry netting is as much a physical barrier to the birds as it is from the shock treatment. It they do get shocked, and likely they will at some point, then they will learn to respect it. Most likely the only way they are going to get out is if they fly over it. Younger birds can get through it, but adults probably won't. The good news is few ground based predators, including crazy dogs, are going to get past it. Some may jump over, but not many will try, as most likely their first encounter will be an unpleasant one.
I also have more experience with the light wire fences mentioned earlier. I have observed my birds can go through it or over it with ease. BUT, eventually, they either step on it or somehow manage to get themselves shocked, and once they do, they tend to avoid it. There is a learning curve for them, but once they get zapped, they tend to stay away from it. The bigger the area, the more effective a light wire fence can be. Same issue, however, with the weeds, although it is easier to run a weed eater under a wire fence than it is the netting. After the 3rd of 4th pass under such a fence with the weed eater, you pretty much kill the grass or weeds, leaving bare dirt beneath. That helps.
An interesting running battle has also developed with our small house dog and that two wire electric fence. He is a runner who likes to roam far and wide and he got zapped early on, but is hard headed enough he found a way to get past it. He simply jumped over it. So I've added more wires to increase the height and his latest trick is to take a chance and run through it at high speed. So I've added more wires and narrowed the gap to increase the odds of him getting zapped. Using him as my tester, if I can perfect this to the point of keeping him in, I imagine it will keep almost all predators out.
