The first cattle sale held at Armoy Livestock Mart after the July holidays saw a sharper trade for most classes of stock on offer.

A pen of Charolais bred bullocks sold well at the start of the sale.

Most lots were close to 600kg and regularly sold for over the 360p/kg mark.

There was solid demand for continental heifers.

Notable prices were a Limousin heifer that weighed 395kg and made £1,780 (451p/kg) and a 440kg Charolais sold for £1,910 (434p/kg).

There was a relatively small show of heavy cattle. One of the top prices among those on offer was a 700kg Charolais bullock that sold for £2,500 (357p/kg).

There was a big run of dairy bred bullocks, with most lots being Angus sired and weighing around the 500kg mark.

Plainer lots sold for around 330p/kg, but stronger steers often made 360p/kg and more.

An example price is a dairy bred Angus bullock which weighed 495kg and sold for £1,830 (370p/kg).

After that, there was a batch of slightly heavier Angus sired heifers which met a strong demand from bidders. One of the highest prices was a 575kg animal that made £2,040 (355p/kg).

More dairy cows than usual were shown at this week’s sale.

One of the best-selling lots was a well fleshed 615kg Holstein cow that made £1,780 (289p/kg).

A smaller number of suckler cull cows were on offer. An example price includes a 680kg Angus cow that made £1,780 (262p/kg).

The only cow and calf outfit at the sale was a 26-month-old Limousin heifer with a Limousin heifer calf which made £2,680.

At the very end of the auction, a tight Aberdeen Angus stock bull put the weigh bridge down to 1,290kg and sold for £3,640 (282p/kg).