An experiment was conducted to determine the eff ects of altering the omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid (FA) ratio in sow diets on the FA profile of colostrum, and sow and piglet plasma. A reduction in the n-6:n-3 ratio improved circulating levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA) in both sows and piglets, indicating that the FA ratio is an important factor for increasing conversion of ALA into its longer chain counterparts.