Why Omega-3 Levels in Pasture-Raised Meat Matter for Your Health
posted on
June 6, 2026
Most people think about meat and eggs in simple terms: taste, price, convenience, and maybe whether they are grass-fed, pasture-raised, or grown conventionally.
But the better question is this:
What did that animal eat, how did it live, and what does that mean for the health of your family?
At McIntyre Pastures, we believe food is never just food. It is the result of everything that came before it: the soil, the crops, the water, the animal’s diet, the way it was moved, the way it was cared for, and the standards behind every daily decision.
That is why we say: "Your health begins with our soil."
Modern diets are often overloaded with processed foods, poor-quality fats, and ingredients that can push the body away from balance. Over time, that imbalance can contribute to the kind of everyday inflammation many families are trying to get away from when they start paying closer attention to what they eat.
Our goal is to raise food that supports the opposite: better nourishment, better balance, and a cleaner foundation for the meals you feed your family.
That starts in the soil.
Why Fatty Acid Balance Matters
You do not need to understand a lab report to understand the basic idea.
Your body needs healthy fats. These fats help support your cells, brain, energy, hormones, and the body’s natural inflammatory response.
Omega-3 and omega-6 fats are both important. The problem is that most modern diets are heavy in omega-6s and low in omega-3s. That can push the body further away from the balance it needs to function well.
This is one reason we care so much about how our animals are raised.
When animals are raised on pasture, moved regularly, given clean water, and fed thoughtful rations with ingredients like camelina meal, peas, wheat, non-gmo corn (grown by us and fed to poultry only), fish meal (blended trimmings from wild caught fish) that care can show up in the food itself.
Better soil grows better feed.
Better feed supports healthier animals.
Healthier animals produce superior food.
That’s why we say: “Your health begins with our soil.”
What Our Testing Found
We recently worked with Dr. Stephan Van Vliet and the Center for Human Nutrition Studies to analyze our beef, chicken, pork, and eggs so we could better understand how our fatty-acid profiles compare with conventional and pasture-raised benchmarks.
The results are exciting, especially in our eggs, beef, and chicken.
Our eggs had about 67–68% higher total omega-3s than the pasture-raised and conventional benchmarks. They also had 19–22% lower total omega-6s, this ratio is much better for you, and it also happens to be much better for the animal’s quality of life.
Our beef ribeye had about 30% higher total omega-3s than the grass-fed benchmark and more than three times the omega-3s of grain-fed beef. It also had 40% lower omega-6s than grass-fed beef average and 57% lower omega-6s than grain-fed beef.
Our chicken thigh was one of the strongest results in the study. It had about 5.8 times more omega-3s than a conventional chicken thigh and 4.6 times more than a pasture-raised chicken thigh. It also had 42% lower omega-6s than a conventional chicken and 17% lower omega-6s than the pasture-raised benchmark.
Our pork is already performing in line with pasture-raised pork peers, with about 12% higher total omega-3s than the pasture benchmark. It does not yet show the same omega-3 lift we are seeing in our beef, chicken, and eggs, but that gives us a clear path for improvement. One of the next steps we are exploring is increasing camelina in the pigs’ ration to help raise omega-3 levels even further as camelina, a high omega-3 feed ingredient, seems to really help improve the omega-3 fatty acid levels in the products.
“This was the first time we tested meat and eggs from chicken that were fed camelina, and it resulted some of the best omega 6:3 ratios that we have observed in the lab” Dr. Stephan van Vliet said.
That is how we farm: test, learn, improve, and keep raising the standard.
Better soil. Better feed. Better animals. Better food.
How We Raise Our Beef
Our beef comes from mainly Red Angus cattle purchased from Idaho partner farms that follow our cattle raising protocols.
When the animals arrive at 8 months of age, they go directly onto cover crops and/or grass. From there, they are moved to fresh paddocks every day, and sometimes multiple times per day. That movement gives the cattle fresh forage while helping build soil health through grazing, manure distribution, and rest periods for the land.
If we run out of cover crops, the cattle are transitioned onto baleage. Baleage is simply cover crops and/or grass that we harvest with a machine at their peak growth period and put into a bale for use later. During the final 60 days before harvest, when they are closest to finishing, they receive free-choice access to our most premium baleage.
They also have constant access to clean well water, Redmond conditioner, Sea-90 (sea salt), and other vital minerals needed for pasture based cattle. During the final baleage-feeding period, apple cider vinegar is mixed in to help support energy and nutrient availability.
Our beef program is vaccine-free and antibiotic-free. The cattle drink clean well water and never drink from the canal.
This takes more time, more land management, and more daily attention. But it produces beef with a fatty-acid profile we are proud of and a flavor our customers come back for.
How We Raise Our Chickens and Eggs
Our laying hens arrive at around 18 weeks old and begin with a training period in our mobile pasture houses. Their ration includes non-GMO corn, wheat, camelina meal, peas, fish meal, sesame, and an organic mineral packet.
During the growing season, they are moved every day onto fresh pasture. In the winter as it gets too cold for the Mobile coops, they move into a winter house with deep bedding, free-range access out back, and the same high-quality feed ration which is grown and mixed by us.
Our meat birds are picked up and brought to the farm the morning they hatch and spend their first few weeks in the brooder, where we closely monitor temperature, comfort, and feed intake. Once ready, they move into mobile pasture houses that provide shade, fresh grass, and a low-stress environment. They are also moved daily on pasture.
Both our layers and meat birds receive free-choice granite grit, which is essential for poultry digestion and often overlooked in the industry. Our poultry program is vaccine-free and antibiotic-free. The birds drink clean well water, never canal water, and are protected by Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs.
The results from our eggs and chicken were some of the strongest in our testing, and we believe that reflects the full system: pasture, movement, clean water, careful feed, and healthy soil.
How We Raise Our Pork
Our pigs arrive at around 50 pounds from an Idaho partner farm that follows our standards.
They are fed a ration grown by and mixed by McIntyre Pastures, including wheat, peas, camelina meal, and molasses. Our pork ration is soy-free and corn-free, and the pigs also receive an organic mineral packet.
During the growing months, the pigs are rotated on pasture every three days. When available, they also receive excess, broken, or damaged eggs.
From the moment they arrive on our farm, our pork program remains vaccine-free and antibiotic-free. The pigs drink clean well water and never drink from the canal.
We are proud of the pork we raise today, and we are also working to make it even better. Increasing camelina in the ration is one of the next steps we are exploring to continue improving the omega-3 profile.
How We Raise Our Turkeys
Our turkeys follow a similar process to our broiler chickens.
They are picked up the day they hatch and spend four to five weeks in the brooder, where we closely monitor temperature, comfort, and nutrition. Once they are ready, they move onto pasture and are rotated every day.
They receive a similar ration to our broilers, along with free-choice granite grit. Turkeys need a lot of grit to properly digest their feed. On our farm, an average turkey may consume around 25 pounds of granite rock over the course of its life.
Our turkey program is vaccine-free and antibiotic-free. The turkeys drink clean well water and never drink from the canal.
The Health of the Food Starts Before the Animal
The McIntyre family has been farming this area since 1910. For much of that history, the farm included row crops, animals, dairy, watermelons, alfalfa, and the kind of work that shaped this part of Idaho.
But in 2009, Ben and Brad started asking deeper questions about the land. That led the family toward no-till farming, soil biology, cover crops, and a new understanding:
Life below ground is just as important as life above it.
Today, our animals are part of that soil-building system. Cattle graze cover crops. Hogs, chickens, and turkeys rotate across our pastures. Laying hens help clean up excess flies and return fertility to the land. We grow cover crops, rotate crops, and work hard to never leave our soil “naked.”
We also grind our own feed on the farm for our omnivore animals and grow many of the inputs that go into those rations.
This is a more involved way to farm. It is not built around shortcuts. It is built around stewardship.
A Higher Standard of Food
There is a reason our food is different.
It is not just because the animals are outside. It is not just because they are local. It is not just because they are pasture-raised.
It is because every part of the system is connected.
The soil feeds the plants.
The plants feed the animals.
The animals help build the soil.
And the food nourishes your family.
That is the standard we are working toward every day at McIntyre Pastures.
Better soil. Better animals. Better food.
Your health begins with our soil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pasture-raised meat healthier?
Pasture-raised meat often contains better fatty acid profiles, including higher omega-3 levels and lower omega-6 levels compared to conventional meat.
Why are omega-3 fats important?
Omega-3 fatty acids support brain function, heart health, hormones, and healthy inflammatory balance within the body.
Does grass-fed beef contain more omega-3s?
In many cases, yes. Grass-fed and pasture-raised cattle generally produce beef with higher omega-3 levels than conventional grain-fed beef.
Does regenerative farming improve food quality?
Regenerative farming practices may improve soil biology, forage quality, and animal nutrition, all of which can influence the nutritional quality of meat and eggs.
Are pasture-raised eggs higher in omega-3s?
Pasture-raised eggs often contain more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional eggs, especially when hens consume diverse forage and nutrient-rich feed.
Explore Our Pasture-Raised Products
All raised using regenerative farming practices focused on soil health, animal welfare, and nutrient-dense food production.
Related Reading
- Timeless Principles of Healthy Traditional Diets - Weston A Price
- Effects of Fatty Acids on our Mood - Kevin Cann, for RobbWolf.com
- Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century - Dr Loren Cordain, for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
