We have horses, chicken, & quail. What's the best way to compost the manure before putting it in the garden? Can someone send me a good link to a how-to-manage-manure? Is it OK to put fresh manure on the garden in the winter when nothing's growing in the garden? Will it be ready to plant in the spring?
You can apply the manure directly, but I would deep till it, and do it early in the winter. Composting is more full proof. Mix it with chopped straw or leaves that decompose fast like maple or pecan leaves. You want to prevent pathogens from splashing back up on your produce when it rains or you water. Manure is like gold, but some care is smart.
The manure is hot, so I would create a compost pile and let the manure cool down for a couple months than slowly add it in to a worm bin.