Escherichia coli is a common gastrointestinal bacteria that has a vast genetic, physiologic, and biochemical diversity in E. coli, which allows this organism to thrive in many environments. But E. coli contains several pathogenic groups (e.g., pathotypes) which can cause disease and morbidity in poultry, reduce poultry producers profitability, and can impact the health and safety of human consumers of poultry meat products. As the use of antimicrobials as growth promoters has become increasingly restricted, alternatives to antimicrobials (ATA) have become a higher priority. The use of probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, bacteriophage, and organic acids have the potential to alter the gastrointestinal microbial population and to reduce pathogenic groups of E. coli. Thus strategies that can reduce these important pathogens from poultry are critical to ensuring the efficient production of poultry meat, but also the safety of these important sources of protein for humans.