The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different physical processing methods of barley grain in starter on starter intake, average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency, skeletal growth, fecal score and rumen pH of neonatal dairy calves. For this purpose, thirty two Holstein dairy calves (16 female and 16 male) were used in a completely randomized design and data from trial were analyzed using SAS9.1 statistical software and the MIXED procedure. Calves were randomly allocated to one of the four treatments consisting of: coarse ground, whole, steam rolled and roasted barley from day 4 to 56 th days of birth. Experimental units were randomly assigned to individual pens. Starters were formulated to have similar ingredients and composition. All calves had ad libitum access to water and starter throughout the study. All calves received 4 L of milk/d from a nipple bottle from d 4 to 41, and 2 L/d from d 41 to 45. when trying to wean the calf weaning occurred on 45 day for all of calves. Starter intake (DM) and fecal score recorded daily. Body weight and skeletal growth factors (body length, body barrel, heart girth, hip height and hip width) had been measured at the beginning of the study and at 45 and 56 d of age. Rumen fluid and blood samples were collected during 35, 45 and 56 d of age. Results of the present study indicate that processing of barley with different methods had no significant effect on dry matter intake, average daily gain and feed efficiency. In general there were no significant differences between different treatments (but calves fed steam rolled barley gained higher weight after weaning and calves fed coarse ground barley gained the final weight) but these differences wasn’t significant. Also, skeletal growth factors, health and pH of the rumen were not affected by treatments. There was significant differences in apparent digestibility of crude protein, between calves fed steam rolled and whole with roasted barley (p = 0.003), but no significant differences were observed between other treatments. Thus, the differences between calves fed roasted barley and coarse ground barley in ether extract (fat) digestibility was significant (p=0.01) while the differences between other treatments were not. On the other hand, there was a significant difference in apparent digestible factors of dry matter (DM) between steam rolled with coarse ground and roasted barley (p = 0.009), but no significant differences were observed between other treatments. Apparent digestibility of NDF between claves received whole and roasted was significantly different (p=0.03) while the differences between other treatments were not. In conclusion our results shows that different processing method of barley in starter had no effect on performance of dairy calves therefore feeding whole or coarse ground barley would be more economical method of processing compared steam rolled and roasted barley. Finally, we assume that the effects of processing methods of barley grain in starter has been influenced highly by chewing activity in new born dairy calves.