Recommendations on the value of feeding forage to calves before weaning are inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of feeding long hay during the nursery phase on calf performance. Treatments were to not feed hay or feed hay to calves throughout the 56-d trial. Forty-eight calves (45.4 ± 1.18 kg BW, 2 to 3 d of age) were fed a milk replacer (MR; 22% CP, 20% fat as-fed basis) powder at 568 g as-fed daily diluted at 12.5% solids. Calves were fed MR daily in 2 equal meals from 0 to 39 d, then at 313 g of MR powder daily (AM meal only) for d 40 to 42. All MR offered was consumed. Starter, hay, and water were fed ad libitum. Hay and starter were fed in separate pails. Calves were housed in individual pens bedded with straw in a nursery with natural ventilation and no added heat through d 56. Feces were scored daily using a 1 to 5 scale with 1 being normal and 5 being watery. Medical treatments were recorded daily. Calves were weighed initially and weekly thereafter. Body condition score (1 being thin and 5 being obese) and hip widths were measured initially and every 2 weeks thereafter. The average temperature in the nursery was 23°C with a range from 12 to 36°C. The average relative humidity was 78% with a range from 40 to 97%. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design. Repeated measures analysis was performed on pre-weaning (0 to 42 d), post-weaning (42 to 56 d), and overall (0 to 56 d) data. Initial measurements differed for hip widths (P < 0.05) among treatments. Pre-weaning hip width change tended (P < 0.09) to be less for calves fed hay. Other measurements did not differ (P > 0.05). Hay intake was highly variable and averaged 6.1% of total intake overall. Hay intake as a percentage of overall intake ranged from less than 1 to 20% among the 24 calves fed hay. Hay intake was not related to starter intake. Feeing hay did not improve calf performance as measured in this study.