Some slaughterhouses even scan females with ultrasound to spare the promiscuous ones from hamhood, because the slaughterhouse wouldn't be getting its money's worth of myosin. Calif. Whatever happens in the volatile fetal pig market, the rubbery teaching tools will be sorely missed. Va. Her students purchase their pigs at the bookstore, so the price hike will affect them directly. Since I've spent considerable time developing a lab manual of the pig and computer tutorials, I'm holding my breath on this one. David Brown , a professor of biology at Point Loma Nazarene University, cites yet another advantage to dissecting fetal pigs.
Few students have pet pigs.
Cats, birds, dogs, fish, and others seem to have more animal rights problems. Some of the major suppliers are locked into the current prices they pay to collecting vendors or slaughterhouse owners for a year. And so biological supply houses are gearing up to offer viable alternatives. But it may be some time before that assistance materializes as more fetal pigs shipped to market. And with all of the players becoming more aware of the value of the prenatal porkers, improved supplies might not lead to a quick chop in prices.