Methane, produced from decomposition of livestock manure under anaerobic conditions, contributes significantly to anthropogenic CH₄ emission to the atmosphere. The expansion of the scale of livestock breeding will lead to a continuing increase in CH₄ emission. To achieve utilization of manure as resource and mitigation of CH₄ emission, it is urgent to introduce the concept of “animal manure management system”, and investigate characteristics of the production and emission of CH₄ in the system and its mitigation strategies. Therefore, the current review began with an introduction to structure of the manure management system, elaborated CH₄ production in the system and factors affecting CH₄ emissions. It also discussed emission-calculating methods, and summarized advancements in the study on CH₄ emissions from manure management system at home and abroad. At the end, optimized manure management models compatible to the current scale of livestock breeding in China and strategies based on improvement of management technology for mitigation of CH₄ emissions were suggested.