Vitamin D3 regulates and corrects calcium and phosphate metabolism and homeostasis in blood, plays an important role in the uptake of calcium and phosphate from the intestines and aids in controlling the rate of deposit and resorption of minerals from bone. Especially in young, growing animals vitamin D3 is essential for normal growth and development of skeleton and teeth. Vitamin D deficiencies have been shown to result in rickets, hypocalcemia and the development of degenerative muscle. Vitamin D supplementation may also be useful when animals suffer from inadequate sunlight exposure, when they are moved away from pasture feeding systems toward confinement feeding of stored feeds or when the roughage in the diet is decreased.