[totalnovice]

I have just taken delivery of several tonnes of lovely dark brown cow manure (yum yum). I do have a very stupid question though sorry.

How do i know if it is rotted down sufficiently to use. I can still smell 'cow' but it is not a nasty smell and the pile is quite sizable so i would have thought if it was fresch it would be some what ..... ripe. 

It is quite wet - but then we have had some rain recently and it was not covered. Will it be ok for putting in the potato trenchs this year and i'm planning on leaving the rest until autum when i di the plot again.

thanks in advance for the helpful, and no doubt amusing responses given the subject

[JayG]

Easiest way is to ask the supplier whether it was fresh or rotted (or somewhere in between.)

If that doesn't get you anywhere I'm sure a pile of that size will let you know before you are wanting to add it to your potato beds/trenches (I'm thinking clouds of steam here!) 

[allot2learn]

I was thinking the same. It's generally rotted when it has lost its heat.