Seven diets were formulated in order to determine the nutritive value of whole maize plant at three stages of maturity by substitution of a control diet (C) with 20% and 40% whole maize plant at early dough, mid-dent and mature stages of grain. A digestibility trial was performed with 74 rabbits. Digestible protein and energy values of whole maize plant at different maturity stages were calculated by substitution and regression procedures. A fattening experiment was carried out with 200 rabbits from weaning (28 days of age) giving ad libitum