New USDA estimates suggest the U.S. cattle herd has stopped shrinking, signaling the beginning of what could be an expansionary phase of the cattle cycle. Cattle and calves totaled 94.2 million head on July 1, up from 94 million a year earlier, according to a July cattle report USDA published on Friday. While beef cows fell 28.5 million head, a 1% decrease from last year, the number of heifers weighing more than 500 pounds grew around 1% to 14.7 million head, a signal producers have begun holding some back for the cow herd. It’s easy to be “in the know” about what’s happening in Washington, D.C. Sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse news! “Back on Jan. 1, heifers held back for the cow herd were up a light 0.9 percent over the prior year.