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March 5, 2018 ⁄ farming

Silkworm Farming & Cultivation | Rearing

Guide & Tips

Contents [hide]

1 Silkworm Farming Guide And Tips Process and Profit Details

1.1 What is Silkworm Farming?
2 Silkworm Life Cycle
2.1 Chawki Rearing
2.2 Rearing of Late age Worms
3 Rearing house
3.1 Silkworm Rearing appliances
4 Feeding Management
4.1 Shoot Rearing in Silkworm Farming
4.2 Ideal Temperature And RH Maintainance
4.3 Care During Moulting
5 Care And Management in Silkworm Rearing
Search … 
5.1 Bed Cleaning
5.2 Hygiene Maintenance
5.3 Application of Disinfectant
Categories
6 Moulting Ripen Worms
7 Harvesting Cocoons in Silkworm Farming Agricultural Farming
7.1 Cocoon Yield in Silkworm Farming Aloe Vera Farming
7.2 More from my site Dairy Farming
Fisheries Farming
Flower Farming
Silkworm Farming Guide And Tips Process and Profit Details
What is Silkworm Farming? Fruit Farming
Grain Crops
What does do you mean by the word “Silkworm Farming”? Grain-Nut Farming
Legume farming
The business of rearing silkworm or silkworm rearing is known as the Livestock Farming
silkworm farming as in this business, the growing of silkworm is Medicinal Plant Farming
included. Pastoral & Cattle Breeding
Poultry Farming
Basically, silkworm (Bombyx mori) is a major source of fabulous Project Report
mulberry silk production of the sericulture industry. Nowadays, the Tree Farming

business of rearing silkworm is being increased with a rapid rate throughout the Uncategorized
vegetable farming
different portion of the world because of too much profit is there with little care
and management of the worms.

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There is a need for quality and nutritious mature mulberry leaves throughout
the complete rearing period of silkworms. In addition to this, silkworm farming
also requires optimum favorable environmental conditions along with protection
from pests, insects, and diseases for the optimum production as the essential
need.

Silkworms are divided into three different race. These three are univoltine,
bivoltine and multivoltine races depending on the total number of generation
per a single year. The univoltine races and bivoltine races are precise for the
temperate region whereas the multivoltine races are peculiar for tropical areas.

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The silkworm farming or rearing needs knowledge of both kinds; technical as

well as commercial. Presently, the tropical region where mulberries grow
luxuriantly throughout the complete year, about 5 to 7 rearing can be easily
conducted in a single year whereas, in the temperate and subtropical region, it
is possible to rear one time per every two crops.

Silkworm Life Cycle

From the hatching to its full growing stage, the silkworm has to passes from 5
instars and worms up to stage 2 are known as the “Chawki” or young age
worms. Since these are very sensitive to the many kinds of infections and are
also unsafe due to the adverse weather conditions, it requires special care to be
taken in rearing these “Chawki or Young age worms”

However, to obtain a big profit via rearing silkworms, these silkworms should be
reared or raised under the controlled conditions in an individual Chawki rearing
centers. Also, make to keep the Chawki packages of practices totally separate
from the late age rearing.

Chawki Rearing
However, follow the following instruction while Chawki rearing as
indicated below…

1. High-Quality Eggs: Use Disease-free and high-quality eggs for the optimum
production.
2. Use of Suitable Incubators: A comfortable and favorable temp is required
for the best growth of the worms. For silkworm rearing, the ideal temp. is 23
°C to 26 °C or normal room temp along with 80 to 85 % RH with 8 hours of
darkness and a full light for the remaining 16 hours in the hatching areas,
especially during the 8 to 12 days of egg laying.
3. Brushing: The newly hatched larvae should be brushed on to the rearing or
raising beds and then after, provide fresh and chopped mature leaves of 1 cm
to 2 cm.
4. Provide Nutritious and Quality Leaves: After brushing, feed them with
high-quality leaves and nutritious leaves to these reared larvae in enough
amount at regular intervals of time for their excellent growth rate. Top about
3 to 4 fully grown or mature leaves, just below the growing or rearing buds
became suitable.
5. Maintain Temp.: For the excellent growth rate of the eggs and larvae, the
ideal temp. is 23 °C to 26 °C or normal room temp along with 80 to 85 % RH
inside the house.
6. Feed management: Spread fresh and chopped nutritious leaves on the dry
beds for good growth of larvae.
7. Care During Moulting: Try to keep the bed, clean and dry. Maintain the
room temp. at ideal temp with an adequate amount of RH in the room with
feed in sufficient amount. A special care to be taken while molting stage. The
temp should be 23 °C to 26 °C or normal room temp along with 60 to 70 %
RH inside the house.

If all this provided, the growth rate in the worms will be maximum in minimum
time of rearing. With this conditions (ideally), within 3 to 4 days, the first instar
go to molting whereas the 2nd instar will go for in about 3 days. While the 3rd
instar is the crucial one as it is the intermediary stage of the Chawki or young
age worms and the late age worms.

Rearing of Late age Worms

From the 3rd instar in the Chawki rearing, these worms become voracious
feeders. Then after, follow the following instruction in this rearing business.

1. Disinfection of Rearing House: Perform disinfection in the house, two days

before the worm brushing. All the used and non-used equipment should also
 be disinfected.
2. Adequate Quantity of Quality Leaf: The late age worms consumes more
than 90 % food of the total food. For feeding, feeding with mulberry
leaves are best suitable food. These should be harvested at their full
maturity having low moisture fibers and protein content in them with lower
carbohydrate content.
3. Provide Comfortable Environment: Maintain room temp at 24 °C to 26 °C
along with about 75 % of relative humidity. Usually, for 100
DFLs multivoltine, space about 100 sq feet and 200 sq feet is sufficient
enough for the fourth and fifth instar respectively. Whereas the space
requirement for the bivoltine races, if 250 sq. feet for the fourth instar and
600 sq. feet for the fifth instar.
4. Proper Hygiene in The House: Proper hygiene should be maintained in the
house.
5. Protection: Also, provide protection from all kinds of natural enemies such
as Uzi fly

Rearing house

Silkworm farming requires comfortable environment for an optimum growth

rate of the larvae and worms. So, to maintain comfortable and favorable
conditions for worms, there is need of the house. Construct a house which
has economic cooling features with the selection of suitable wall material and
fabrication of roof. The ideal temp for optimum growth rate in the worms is
from 24 °C to 28 °C with about 70 % to 85 % RH in the house.

Also, make sure of sufficient space needed to handle out the

leat preservation, Chawki or Young age worm rearing, late age worm rearing
and for the molting. Proper hygiene and disinfection at regular interval of time
are also required.

However, the size of the rearing house for silkworm depends on the rearing type
and the quantum. Practically, for rearing 100 DFLs (Disease Free Layings; and 1
DFL = 500 larvae) requires a 400 sq feet floor area for the excellent production.

Silkworm Rearing appliances

The late age worms are not able to tolerate high RH, high temperature, and
poor freshening. So, there is a need for cross ventilation facilities to maintain
the room temp. removal of vapors and toxic gases generated because
of excreta produced by large numbers of silkworms.

The following below is a table showing the equipment requirement for rearing
100 DFL’s or 50,000 larvae.

No. Item Quantity

1 Rotary montages or Chandrika 40 no’s

2 Shoot rearing rack (5 x40’) 5 tiers 1 no’s

3 Power sprayer 1 no’s

4 Hygrometer 1 no’s

Note: The equipment requirement may vary according to the scale of rearing.

Feeding Management

Feeding is an important task that requires more attention to be taken while

rearing silkworms for the silk production. So, start feeding with about 45 to 55
days older harvested shoots having 3 ft height in the chilling hrs, mostly in the
morning whereas 5th age worms should be fed with two months older shoots.
So, for feeding, loosely store the harvested shoots in a vertical position at a
cooler and moistened place through covering it with clean and disinfected. wet
gunny cloth.

However, the feeding quantity of quality leaves varies according to their ages
such as the 4th instar of bivoltine silkworms needs 460 Kg of shoots whereas
the 5th instar of same needs more than 2800 kg of shoots for the healthy
growth of worms. Make a schedule of daily three feeding (5 AM, 1 PM and 9 PM)
and feeding with overmatured and soil leaf should be avoided. Spread the worm
larvae uniformly on the rearing beds for every feeding according to their space
requirement such as a 100 DFLs at late 5th stage needs a space of 600 sq feet
area.

To avoid contamination, the suspected diseased and undersized worms should

be discarded at the time of feeding only with chopsticks. Put these picked
larvae into 2 % bleaching powder with 0.5 % slaked lime solution.

Shoot Rearing in Silkworm Farming

In the method of rearing silkworm, the last three stages should be conducted by
giving mulberry shoots instead of single leaves. Shoot rearing is helpful in
saving about 45 % of labor in the rearing process.

The other advantages of shoot rearing include the following list:

1. It also reduces the contamination and spreading of diseases because of little

handling of silkworms
2. Maintenance of proper hygiene in the rearing house.
3. Better preservation of quality leaves during storing and during the beds
4. It is also helpful in better aeration in the rearing beds.
5. It also requires little non-recurring expenditure in the rearing process.
6. It is also beneficial in the production of better and quality cocoon and better
survival of the larvae.

Ideal Temperature And RH Maintainance

Silk-producing worms require a comfortable environment with good temp and

relative humidity of the atmosphere. For late age worm rearing, the ideal temp
and relative humidity are 26 °C & 80 % humidity for the 3rd instar, 25 °C & 70
% humidity for the 4th instar and 24 °C & 70 % humidity for the 5th instar for
the excellent growth of the late age worm rearing.

So, maintain the temp and humidity at ideal condition during these rearing
stages through heating, cooling and humidifying appliances such as room
heater, cooler, wet gunny cloths, charcoal stove, water sprinkling, etc. However,
use of cross ventilation is best for reducing the body temp of silk-producing
worms.

Care During Moulting

A special care to be taken while the molting stage. So, follow the listed below
instructing during the molting stage.

1. During molting stage, ensure dry conditions and facility of good ventilation in
the worm rearing house.
2. Gently spread the bed, just after the settling of worms for molting and
uniformly implement slaked lime powder on the rearing bed for good drying
of beds.
3. Strictly maintain the rearing house at ideal temp and humidity
4. Avoid high fluctuation of strong wind and bright light in the rearing house
5. When more than 95 % of silkworms come out of the molting, resume
feeding.

Care And Management in Silkworm Rearing

The care and management in silkworm rearing include the bed cleaning,
maintenance of proper hygiene and application of disinfectant to the rearing
beds.

Bed Cleaning

The suspected diseased and undersized worms should be discarded at the time
of feeding only with chopsticks. Put these picked larvae into 2 % bleaching
powder with 0.5 % slaked lime solution.

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Note: During cleaning bed, do not spill the bed refuses on the platform of the
worm rearing room.

Hygiene Maintenance

Silkworms are very sensitive to the infections, pests, and diseases as like
the Mushrooms. Some precautions to be taken for the proper hygiene
maintenance in the rearing house. Those are:

1. While entering the rearing house, wash hands and feet proper with a proper
disinfectant sol. For this, firstly wash hands and feet with an alkaline soap,
then after dipped in any disinfectant solution such as the solution of 2.5 %
Sanitech or Serichlor in 0.5 % slaked lime or solution of 2 % Bleaching
powder with 0.3 % slaked lime.
2. Hands should be washed with a disinfectant solution, just after the picking of
unhealthy worms, bed cleaning and also before feeding the worms.
3. Picking of unhealthy worm should be carried out on the daily basis in a basin
with the mixture of bleaching and lime powder. The picked unhealthy worms
 should be disposed of carefully such as burning worms or burying them at
a separate place.
4. Always keep the silkworm rearing clean, dry and well aerated during the
complete rearing period.

Application of Disinfectant

Silkworms are very prone to infections and diseases. So, avoid all type of
infections and diseases from the rearing house, proper disinfectants of rearing
house and beds should be done on the regular basis. For disinfectants, Vijetha
Green, Vijetha, and Ankush are some silkworm disinfectants used in the
silkworm farming or rearing.

For disinfection, take the powder in a clean and thin cloth and then, dust it over
the silk-producing worms at 5 gm per sq. feet, just after every molting and one
on the fourth day of final instar after cleaning of bed.

Note: It is the best way to follow scheduled silkworm disinfectants to get the
best results.

Moulting Ripen Worms

In silkworm farming or rearing, producing high-quality cocoons matter a lot in

deciding the profit. And, High-quality montages and molting of larvae at the
proper time are necessary for producing high-quality cocoons in higher quantity.
On the 7th day of 5th instar, worms enter in the maturation stage and stop
feeding on the leaves. After which, worm start searching for a place where they
can build their cocoons.

So, picking of such larvae should be done immediately and are mounted on the
montages. Take care of the stocking density of larvae (numbers) on
the montages. It should not exceed the montages capacity. Also, ensure that at
the spinning stage of larvae, the room temp. should be 24°C along with 70 %
RH (relative humidity) and facility of good aeration should be provided.
Rotary montages are advised for producing high quality of cocoons. Around
35 sets of rotary montages are good enough for molting worms of 100 DFLs.
Whereas hanging rotary montages requires a separate molting hall for cocoon
production.

Harvesting Cocoons in Silkworm Farming

The complete process of silkworm rearing that is from hatching of eggs to the
cocoon formation usually takes around 25 days to 27 days. Pupae become fully
matures on the 5th to 6th day of the molting. So, cocoon harvesting can be
carried out on the 6th day after molting to get the maximum production.
Removal of defective and low-quality cocoons should be carried out.

The quality of cocoons depends on size, shape, less floss, rich milk content,
more shell weight, uniform shape and building of cocoons. Depending on the
quality, grade and short out the cocoon on the basis of their quality.

Note: In Colder days, carry out one day delayed harvesting.

On the next day of the harvesting i.e. 7th day, send the collected cocoons
throughout cooler hours of the day. Loosely pack them in nylon netted bags
having a capacity of 40 kg. Take care that the quality of cocoons does not lose
in any way…

Cocoon Yield in Silkworm Farming

On an average, around 75 kg of yield can be easily obtained by rearing 100

DFLs. One can easily rear about 5 to 6 batch of silkworm in a single calendar
year.
When it comes to yield per acre, one can easily obtain 1000 kg of cocoon
production by taking care of some tasks and maintenance such as temp. RH,
Hygiene, etc from a mulberry garden in a single year.

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