Ridglan Animal Care Systems

Gutter Covers

There are a number of different solutions to covering a gutter inside or out side of a run. The best solution depends on the nature of the drain or gutter. Most runs are made without thought being given to covering them. However, every run has its own answer.

Gutter A

The gutter is in the back of the run, but there is a ledge against the back wall for legs to rest on. There are two solutions for this type of situation.

SOLUTION 1 is a RAC that sits flush with the floor with rod spacers that prevent the RAC from shifting out of position.

Photos of Gutter Covers

SOLUTION 2 is a RAC that rests on legs which should leave at least two inches of space between the frame of the RAC and the floor of the run under which to rinse animal feces without having to remove or lift up the RAC. This means you don’t have to walk through the dirty cage to clean it.

These can be made just wide enough to cover the gutter, or wide enough to present a resting bench for the patient, giving them a high dry, warm place to lie on.

Photos of Gutter Covers

Gutter A - Solution 2

Gutter B

Some gutters are made with a small ledge about an inch down from the floor top. The ledge was put there to rest a gutter cover on. The solution to this is simple. We cut a piece of mesh only, with out a frame or legs, to fit in the available opening. This is handy if the gutter is outside the run or in the front of the run where people and animals are walking. The top of the cover rests flush with the floor and prevents tripping. If the gutter is extra wide or takes unusually heavy traffic, these RACS can also be made with a frame or support
This	Or this

Gutter C

By far the most common situation we are presented with is a gutter in the back of a run, with the rear of the gutter simply a continuation of the back wall. There is no ledge in the gutter or place to rest the back legs of a bench type cover. We recommend at all cost to avoid placing a RAC with legs down into these gutters. One reason is that these gutters are sloped to enhance water and waste movement to a drain. This creates an almost impossible task of varying leg length to make the cover set in the gutter properly. A second reason is that legs in the gutter become dirty with waste, and prevent the free flow of matter to the drain unless they are removed.

Our solution to this is to make a bench type RAC, accompanied by two separate “j” hooks. These hooks have holes in them, allowing them to bolt into the back wall. The bench then rests its front legs on the run floor, and the back is supported by the hooks as illustrated here.

These too can be either just wide enough to cover the gutter or wide enough to provide a resting bench for the patient.

Webmaster: Tamlyn Akins Studio

Ridglan Animal Care Systems
By Professionals for Professionals
P.O. Box 77, Northwood, IA 50459

1-800-338-3178
Fax 1-641-324-1092 | racs@adaent.net