Zinc is an important trace element which is involved in protein synthesis and cellular metabolism. Zn has been used to treat and prevent diarrhea in infants and children effectively. The objective of this trial was to investigate the effects of zinc methionine and zinc oxide on performance and diarrhea of newborn calves. Thirty-six Chinese Holstein newborn calves were randomly assigned to 3 groups of 12 calves. The treatments were as follows, group 1: no addition (control group), group 2: 457 mg of zinc methionine (equivalent to 80 mg of zinc) was added per day, and group 3: 104 mg of zinc oxide (equivalent to 80 mg of zinc) per day was added. Zinc methionine and zinc oxide were mixed with milk and fed directly to the calves after birth. The whole experiment lasted for 14 d when blood samples were taken from all the calves. Starter diet was supplemented to all calves on the fourth day after birth. Milk and starter intake was recorded every 2 d. Calves were measured for body height, body length, bust, and weighed at the beginning and end of the trial. Incidents of calves with diarrhea was observed twice daily (morning and evening). All data were processed using SAS systems. The results showed that the average daily gain (ADG) of calves was significantly higher but the incidence of diarrhea was lower in calves from group 2 than in the group 1 (P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in average daily feed intake and calf size (body height, body length, bust) among different groups. Compared with the control group, zinc oxide numerically increased ADG and reduced diarrhea with no dramatic differences. In conclusion, zinc supplementation in the diets for newborn calves promoted growth and effectively relieved diarrhea.