Abstract: The economic benefits of dairy farming are influenced by various factors, among which reproductive efficiency is one of the key factors affecting the profitability of dairy farms. Heat detection aims to identify cows that are about to ovulate. The efficiency of estrus management is influenced by various factors, such as genetic and nutritional factors affecting the estrus time of cows, estrus identification methods affecting the estrus detection rate, and the technical level of breeding staffs affecting the accuracy of estrus identification. This article provides an in-depth analysis of different estrus identification methods in large-scale dairy farms, summarizes their advantages and disadvantages, and elaborates on the reasons that affect the accuracy of estrus detection. In addition, the development trend of heat detection was also mentioned in this paper, which would provide a reference for the establishment of a sound breeding management process and improve the profitability of large-cale dairy farms in China.