And I've used it fresh and steaming straight from the horse's bum.
It really is just all about 'where' you use it. If it's still steaming, ya don't put it on seedlings, but a fully grown bush doesn't care two hoots about how fresh it is as long as the steaming poop isn't laid on 6 inches deep and right up to the trunk of the bush.
I read something about the difference between cow and bull poop once. Apparently cow poop is 'richer' (for want of a better description) than bull poop because of the differing physiology of the animals. Cows can pee right onto their plop, whereas bulls/steers can't. Made sense to me having watched then doing their business quite often - only trouble is, I can't recall now what ingredient it was in the cow poop that made it 'richer' but it would make sense if it was more ammonia maybe. and how do people likeyou and I segregate our poops. Do I go round asking the bulls/steers to put tags on their poops or to only poop in a particular spot?
I'm with you. Put the nutrients where they should be and don't waste them in a pile becoming 'well rotted manure' (a ridiculous phrase that).