Recently, a vast array of potential antibiotic alternatives have been introduced and researched in the livestock industry as a means to provide livestock producers with products that will positively impact animal health and performance. Some of these products may be used in conjunction with current antibiotic usage strategies, and some of these products may be used to completely replace some antibiotics in livestock production. These innovative antibiotic alternatives include direct fed microbials (DFM), yeast extracts, bacteriocins, bacteriophages, phytochemicals, and various acids. Many of these products have the ability to promote animal health and improve growth performance simultaneously, and some of these compounds may additionally enhance food safety through pre-harvest pathogen reduction. Antibiotic alternatives may be essential tools for livestock production in the future should legislation arise that inhibits prophylactic usage of conventional antibiotics and as a means to appeal to shifting consumer demands. Furthermore, it is also possible that these alternatives can be used as an additional supplement to incorporate into current practices and strategies in livestock production to maximize the potential to enhance both animal health and growth performance. This review will discuss potential alternative antimicrobial supplements in animal agriculture and their impact on animal health, performance and pathogen reduction.