[Objective] This study aimed to investigate influencing factors and variation trends of muscle p H in chickens after slaughter. [Method] Beijing You chickens and Lohmann brown chickens were reared under the same conditions and slaughtered at the age of 8, 16 and 20 weeks, respectively. At different time（15 min, 1, 4, 8,12, 24 and 48 h） after slaughter, p H value of breast muscles and leg muscles was measured. [Result] The results showed that muscle position, post-slaughter time,gender and week age were important factors influencing p H value, but the breed had little effect. Within 1 h after slaughter, p H value of breast muscles and leg muscles declined rapidly, which reached the minimum level at 12 h after slaughter,and then increased slowly. In addition, p H value of leg muscles exhibited higher decline and increase rates than that of breast muscles to some extent. [Conclusion]This study provided basis for breeding of chickens with excellent meat quality.
