live weights daily gains feed consumption and feed conversion of rearing piglets on addition of sorbic acid to the feed addition calculated as by weight sorbic acid based on the total feed day 0 41 0 1 0 55 1 initial weight kg 7 60 u00b1 7 60 u00b1 7 60 u00b1 7 60 u00b1 0 82 0 98 1 04 0 94 final weight kg 27 72 ab u00b1 26 69 b u00b1 29 16 ab u00b1 30 96 a u00b1 3 04 3 00 3 48 3 35 relative 100 96 3 105 2 111 7 growth rate g d 491 b u00b1 466 b u00b1 526 ab u00b1 570 a u00b1 72 65 65 73 relative 100 94 5 107 1 116 1 feed consumption g d 678 ab u00b1 640 b u00b1 729 ab u00b1 775 a u00b1 102 96 102 93 relative 100 94 4 107 5 114 3 feed conversion 1 38 u00b1 1 38 u00b1 1 38 u00b1 1 36 u00b1 g feed g gained 0 04 0 08 0 06 0 08 relative 100 100 100 98 5 comparison of the results of trials of identical design surprisingly reveals in addition that there is no linear dependence in the growth rates and feed conversion of the stock in particular on addition of sorbic acid to piglet feed prestarter the relative gains in the literature j anim physiol a anim nutr 74 1995 235 242 kirchgessner et al u2018 zur nutritiven wirkung von sorbins u00e4ure in der ferkelaufzucht u2019 on supplementation of feed with sorbic.