Using fresh manure

[Ballydoolagh]

I was wondering if it would be ok to use freshish manure in the autumn and dig it in and leave it until next spring or so.
I had no well rotted stuff this year and my veg have suffered, the butternut squash plants have shrunk. I realise fresh will burn plant roots but if it is left over winter is this a problem?
I am also thinking of changing the orientation of my beds due to rainwater flow. This is the first year veg has been grown in the field, before it was just a grass field. How will this effect crop rotation or should I not worry too much about it.

[Kleftiwallah]

Just spread the manure over the bare soil and let the worms pull it down. Groing spuds in a previous medow will be attacked by wireworm for a good few years. Cheers, Tony.

[the custodian]

can anyone tell me if i can use the hay and droppings from a rabbit hutch in my compost as i have just adopted a dwarf rabbit for my daughter and it seems a shame to throw it all away if my compost will benifit from it.

[Nature's Babe]

Hi Custodian. Apparently rabbit droppings are higher nitrogen than chicken droppings, so should make a good contribution to your compost, layer in among other things and compost well, fresh they would burn plants. Not an expert on rabbit droppings but it seems folk do use them

[the custodian]

thank you NB, we are now busy reading up on what we can feed it which has now been given the name of sprinkles by my daughter !

apparently they eat more than just carrots so looks like i will be building a run well away from my veg plot.

[Nature's Babe]

Any car runs the gauntlet with young rabbits on the verges of our lane, lucky they stick to the top end and the field hedgerows and don't get as far as our garden.