You need an IR thermometer! It will save you and them the hassle of being poked in the rear. Just point and shoot, very accurate reading and you can measure any part of the bird. I do my chicks to make sure nobody is roasting or freezing when they aren't super mobile the first day out. Also it is an awesome tool to weed out dead eggs in the incubator.

I seem to be taking temperatures all the time![]()