Cow Manure

[Colette]

Following on from my shallow flower bed thread, I have spotted some cow manure whilst walking this evening and am thinking I could make use of it to improve the soil.
However, reading about using it on the internet seems to give contradictory advice. can I put it straight on the beds without composting ( plant free now)? If not how long do I need to store it for and what would be the simplest way without having to build something. How good is it ? Any opinions please

Depending on the quantity you could store it in black plastic bags and it would be ok to use in the spring. I do that with horse manure.

If you're plant free and don't intend to plant for some months yet, you could put it on.
A better option is to mix it with some straw or grass (half and half) and leave it for six months to rot down.

Don't use fresh cow manure!