Fifteen male Friesian calves with average body weight of 150 + 14 kg and 8 + 0.94 month of age were used in this study. Calves were randomly distributed into three similar groups (five for each). The experimental rations were formulated as follows: ration 1 (R1): 63 % concentrate feed mixture (CFM) + 37 % clover hay (CH) (control), ration 2 (R2):  52.5 % CFM +7.5% soybean meal (SBM)+40% CH and ration 3 (R3): 47 % CFM +11% SBM+42% CH. The partial replacement of CFM by SBM increased the CP% of rations 2 and 3. The CP concentration of the tested rations was 13.6, 15.6 and 16.6% for R1, R2 and R3, respectively. Nutrients digestibility tended to be higher (p < 0.05) when SBM was supplemented at 11% than 7.5%. The TDN%, ME (Mcal/kg) , NE (Mcal/kg) and g CPI / ME Mcal were higher (p < 0.05) with feeding on R2 or R3 than R1, while the TDN: CP ratio was higher (p < 0.05) for R1 than R2 and R3. Likewise, digested dry matter (DDM%) was higher (p < 0.05) when feeding calves on R2 and R3 than R1. The relative feeding values (RFV), relative feeding quality (RFQ) and quality index (QI) were higher (p < 0.05) when the rations supplemented with SBM. The total concentration of ruminal VFA was higher (p < 0.05) for calves fed R2 and R3 than R1.  Blood urea-N and glucose concentration were higher (p < 0.05) for calves fed R3 than those fed R1 and R2. The average daily gain kg/day and feed efficiency were higher (p < 0.05) when animals were fed R2 or R3 than R1. It could be concluded that the replacement CFM by SBM at a level 11% level of total DMI would improve nutrients digestibility, average daily gain and feed conversion of the growing calves.