Dairy producers know that making good quality silage starts with selecting the best silage hybrids.  Unfortunately, most 'silage' hybrids provided from large seed companies are nothing more than a blend of grain hybrids showing traits they feel make good silage.  Not here. 
     

The Baldridge silage varieties below are superior to 'name brand' silage hybrids because they have been bred to produce nutritionally enhanced feed for your livestock.  These are great silage varieties with high digestibility, energy and protein.   The high stalk sugar content (200% more than regular corn silage hybrids) is a very important reason why Baldridge hybrids are superior for animal performance. 

Many dairymen report increases in both milk yield and butterfat percentages when switching to Baldridge Hybrids.  Some as high as $1500 per bag return!! 

When making silage harvest timing has a direct reflection on the quality that goes into the silo.  Ideally corn silage should be chopped before the grain reaches 2/3 milk line to attain maximum quality.  Once ready for harvest the milk line can reach this point in a matter of days which makes silage harvest so hectic.  

If you are seeking hybrids that won't race you to capture this quality, look no further than the eight varieties below.  

Each one is bred for slow drydown, high sugar content, complete plant digestibility, and high protein levels that will add flexibility into your harvest season and increase your herd's milk production.    

The breeding program for Baldridge Hybrids is completely opposite of other seed corn companies. 

 
Baldridge silage varieties are selected to exhibit only the highest levels of digestibility, palatability, nutrition, grain oil levels, low lignin levels, and yield.  Sure, you may see other brands yield better, but you won't find other brands that can compare to Baldridge's silage quality.  Besides, butterfat premiums are paid from quality silage samples showing high levels of digestibility, nutrition, grain oil levels, low lignin levels, and palatability, not yield. 
      

You may notice a few things that stand out below such as white cobb characteristics.  Research is showing that white cobbs are more digestible to cattle than red cobb varieties.  Another distinction is that the digestibility of Baldridge varieties is high throughout the plant's stalk, leaves, cobb, and grain.  Other commercial varieties focus their attention on the grain only.  What makes up 90% of the silage in your silo?
      

Speaking of grain, ever wonder what traditional breeding programs used by other companies' silage offerings are based on?  Just that, grain production and harvest with a combine, not a silage chopper.  Baldridge hybrids are selected from silage and grain samples that contain high oil characteristics and low test weights.  Lower test weights result in softer kernels that your cattle will find much more digestible. 
 
      Traditional breeding programs focus on:

• stalk strength = high lignin levels = low stalk digestibility
• hard cobb selection = red cobbs = poor cobb digestibility
• high test weight grain = low oil levels = lower grain digestibility

Silage hybrids currently available:

BH 375 – 85 day

• Early silage variety with great health and high nutrient values, high digestibility, energy and protein.  
• Great for the northern US regions. 

BH 515 – 105 day      Sold Out for 2010

• Highly digestible silage variety with low lignin levels, high protein and good grain yield potential.   
• A white cobb variety with bi-colored grain containing 12-15% protein.  
• Silage protein can run 10-12% with proper soil fertility.  
• Dairy cows will increase milk production 3-6 lbs/day/cow. 
• Makes an excellent livestock feed.

BH 516 – 100 day

• An excellent forage variety for corn silage.  
• Has high protein and high digestibility.  
• A great early choice for corn silage.  
• Bi-colored grain.  

BH 540hp - 115 day

• A solid dual-purpose hybrid with excellent nutrition and protein.
• Highly recommended for silage production.
• 14% protein in high fertility soils.

BH 611A – 110 day      Sold Out for 2010

• Our workhorse silage hybrid with high protein levels (10-12%) and high digestibility.  
• Good tonnage and excellent quality with bi-colored grain.  
• Many dairymen have reported additional milk yield of 4-6 lbs/day/cow.   

BH 609 - 112 day     

• High protein, high digestibility, and high tonnage corn silage.  
• A companion to our BH 611A in a bit longer season.  Now improved with greater digestibility and higher energy.  
• Bi-colored grain.  
• Very healthy with good disease resistance and slow dry down time.

BH 705 – 120 day      Sold Out for 2010

• Produces high tonnage with high digestibility and very good disease resistance.  
• Long, wide leaves that results in a high percentage of leaf in the total silage (6-8 leaves above the ear).  
• Large diameter stalk with low lignin content.  
• High grain yields on large, long ears with yellow kernels.  
• Great for finishing beef.  
• Not recommended for grain production.

BH 708 – 121 day      Sold Out for 2010

• Produces high tonnage with high digestibility with good disease resistance.  
• Slightly taller than our BH 705 hybrid with similar characteristics, very healthy.

BH 718 - 123 day

• Full season hybrid that produces excellent silage yield.  
• Great disease resistance with medium to tall plant height.  
• Large diameter stalk with low lignin content.  
• Produces high grain yields on large, long ears with yellow grain.  Will produce excellent quality corn silage. 

Planting rates for Baldridge silage hybrids

Soil organic matter                               Plant population
     0-1.0%                                                   16,000-18,000
  1.0-2.0%                                                   18,000-22,000
  2.0-3.0%                                                   22,000-24,000
over 3.0%                                                   24,000-26,000

• Planting corn silage at too high of a plant population reduces the nutritional value of the corn silage. 
  
• True silage type hybrids should not be planted at high populations for quality silage production. 
  
• Grain type, so-called silage, hybrids have to be planted at high populations in order to get high tonnage, not better nutrition. 
  
• Remember, superior quality and nutrition pay butterfat premiums, not tons per acre. 
  
• Population should be reduced for dry land planting as well to reduce the plant stress and conserve moisture.