[parsniptaff]

I will shortly be planting parsnips and am aware that the ground should not be manured to prevent "forking". Does this include chicken manure pellets or is it just farmyard (horse) manure?

[Yorkie]

Just the manure type 

PS Welcome to the site, feel free to pop into the Welcome section for a proper hello. 

Also, if you could add your general location to your forum profile (click your username) that will help us to know whereabouts you are - often relevant when discussing growing stuff.

For example, if you are in Wales and your soil is still wet, I'd suggest leaving sowing parsnips for a few weeks yet until it's warmed up and dried out a bit.  Parsnips are notoriously hard to germinate, and won't like being in cold wet soil - takes far longer and therefore riskier.

[DD.]

Mine won't hit the ground until April.

As Yorkie says, they stand a far better chance once the ground's warmed up and dried out a bit.