Sericulture & Cocoon, Silk & Leaf From Your DFLs

Cocoon yield = (DFLs ÷ 100) × cocoon yield per 100 DFLs. The cocoon yield per 100 DFLs is the kilograms of cocoon a hundred disease-free layings produce under your conditions — typically 50–75 kg for good bivoltine rearing. Enter your own per-100 figure and the tool scales it to your batch size.

A DFL is a disease-free laying — a sheet or box of silkworm eggs certified free of pebrine and other diseases, sold by grainages as the starting unit of rearing. Rearing is planned and costed in DFLs, and cocoon yield is conventionally quoted per 100 DFLs, which is why this tool works in those units.

Renditta is the kilograms of fresh cocoon needed to reel one kilogram of raw silk. Raw silk = cocoon ÷ renditta, so a lower renditta means more silk from the same cocoon — better cocoon quality and reeling efficiency. Multivoltine cocoons may need 7–9 kg per kg of silk, while good bivoltine cocoons can be 6 or below.

Mulberry leaf required = (DFLs ÷ 100) × leaf per 100 DFLs. Feeding leaf is the single largest input in rearing — roughly the bulk of the cost — so planning the leaf supply against your DFL count is essential. Enter your own leaf-per-100 figure to match your variety and feeding practice.

Multivoltine races complete several generations a year, are hardy and suit warm climates, but give lower silk quality and higher renditta. Bivoltine races give heavier, better-quality cocoons and finer silk with a lower renditta, but need cooler conditions and stricter management. Choose the per-100 yield and renditta to match the race you rear.

Silkworms are highly susceptible to diseases like pebrine, flacherie, grasserie and muscardine, which can wipe out a batch. Bed disinfection, clean rearing rooms, treated worms and proper spacing keep DFLs disease-free so the cocoon yield you planned actually materialises. Hygiene protects the entire calculation.

Cocoon count estimates the number of individual cocoons in the batch, useful for grading, marketing by piece, and judging single-cocoon weight. Heavier, more uniform cocoons reel better. The tool reports it alongside total cocoon weight so you can cross-check quality against the weight you expected.

From brushing the worms to spinning cocoons takes roughly 25–30 days, across five instars, after which cocoons are harvested in a few more days. With mulberry available year-round, several crops a year are possible. Plan DFL batches and leaf supply around these cycles to keep the rearing house productive.

Yes — the relationships (cocoon per 100 DFLs, renditta, leaf per 100) hold wherever mulberry silkworms are reared. Enter the per-100 figures and renditta typical for your race and region, and the tool gives cocoon, silk and leaf estimates for your batch anywhere.

They're planning estimates. Actual cocoon yield, renditta and leaf use vary with race, leaf quality, weather, mounting and disease pressure. Use the tool to plan DFL batches and leaf supply, record your real per-100 yield and renditta each crop, and re-run with your own numbers.