[oaklandspigs]

Like i already said the police can't be arsed with livestock regs they're looking for anything stolen, unroadworthy, not taxed, tested or insured.
mandy 

I was told by a police friend that stopping livestock trailers around here is a big no-no.  If they find something wrong, then they are stuck with you and the trailer until you have sorted something out -  like until you have found a friend to come with a trailer, then you have the problem of how to move animals between the two safely - police will be critised if pig escapes and runs into traffic causing an accident.  They cannot let you drive off whilst still illegal, so one brake light not working is a big hassle for them, as is wrong number plate.     So unless you're really obviously doing something very illegal, or they have Defra/Trading standards and are doing a lay-by pull-in, you are not likely to get pulled.  No doubt someone has other tales, but seeing the large no. of trailers that seem to have pretty obvous wrong number plates, and half working lighting boards tied onto the trailer with bits of bailier-twine, and never having had anyone I know personnaly stopped, the above would seem plausible

[jaykay]

Jaykay - is not well phrased but "(in relation to livestock) whether subsidy payments are claimed or for the selling of offspring, meat and meat products, wool, eggs, cheese, milk etc (this is an illustrative list only);" I read as you're not hobby if you're selling stock or meat

It is badly written, mainly because someone has ignored the semicolon and put an extra bullet point in. It seems most likely someone official wrote it and some secretary somewhere bullet-pointed the list.

If you read the sense of the phrase intended by the semicolon, then it's saying you're not a business if your income exceeds expenses either because you claim subsidies or from the sale of produce etc. After all, if you couldn't sell produce or animals, you'd have no income at all, would you, from your hobby, let alone it not exceeding expenses.

Ha, being a nuisance to the Police is probably the best protection we have then 

[oaklandspigs]

As Mandy says the police have better things to do than check up on petty bureaucracy.
 

The only time my certificate of competance has been checked is last year when we went to the surrey county show, which was 90km away, with 2 of us and 8 pigs.  TS on arrival asked for it - knew it was in the glove box (put it there in 2005!), but took 2 minutes to unbury it from the old polos, numerous bits of paper and biros with no tops that lurk in there!

[robert waddell]

as one who has maybe been up and down the road system   a lot       i personally have not been pulled            yet neither have i seen anybody being pulled           other than dodgy old bangers that look overloaded     and yes i run with the wrong number plate and exceed the speed limit but on balance i think i could stand a close inspection by plod  vosa defra and trading standards           just waiting for the renewal of my certificate to transport up to 8 hours          with the e aml you are committing yourself on the aml to all your transgressions

[princesspiggy]

the reason i was pulled was -  my full beam flashed the coppers in front of me (loose connection)) and they thought id bin hijacked and was trying to signal help so followed me for 5 miles before pulling me!

highly embarrassing but they never mentioned the sheep or 4 kids snoring in the back!

[robert waddell]

was your other half in the car when you were pulled      if he was i bet he was not amused

[princesspiggy]

was your other half in the car when you were pulled

nah - hes history. im currently looking for younger richer model. 

[robert waddell]

are you not better going for a rich old codger ready to keal over 

[Tudful Tamworths]

I might be in the market for one - depends how many acres and how dodgy the heart condition.

[robert waddell]

and on this very subject i am going to post a joke

[princesspiggy]

are you not better going for a rich old codger ready to keal over 

has to be fit enough to chop down trees for the firewood. its freezing here...lol

[robert waddell]

chainsaw and a log splitter are cheaper and don't break your heart making you a recluse

[princesspiggy]

grr i had a chainsaw but he never gave it back!  nevermind. 

[Tiva Diva]

I've just done (and passed!) my certificate of competence for short journeys (<8 ours), and it was very straightforward. The definition of transporting animals as an economic activity does not depend on whether you make a profit but whether you run it as a commercial activity so for example a charity or non-profit organisation may still be engaged in commercial activity transporting animals. Hobby breeders are exempt. At what point a hobby that brings in a bit of cash becomes commercial is not specified: but I feel happier having the piece of paper now that our local abattoir has shut so I'm having to use one more than 40 miles away (now that, I'm not happy about!)

[jaykay]

At what point a hobby that brings in a bit of cash becomes commercial is not specified

It is, see paragraph 1.15 of the Welfare of animals during Transport document.

Just been inspected. N/A against certificate of competence - reason 'I'm a hobby breeder not an economic activity'. Definition ' I don't suppose for a minute your income from your animals exceeds your outgoings, does it?'

But if you feel happier with the certificate that's good