The expectation in the EU is that the use of antibiotic growth promoters in animal production will be banned by 2005. The challenge is to find an appropriate alternative for use in calf milk replacer diets. Polyclonal antibody addition to the diet may offer a potential alternative to antibiotic feed additives. Surface active polyclonal egg antibodies derived from hyper-immunised chickens may offer such an alternative. Antibodies for common livestock pathogens can be raised in the hen and passed on to the egg and the eggs are used to produce hyper-immunised spray dried egg protein. However the optimum level of inclusion is not defined.