I recently had a similar issue with a goose. I'd try to take them out when she's away and candle them, just to be sure, then take it from there. You'll find other posts here on how to candle if you don't know how. They'll just eventually rot and "explode", and get stink and grossness all over and on momma. Plus, it's kinda hard on the females to sit for extremely long times. They don't get out and about too much to eat, etc.. They can be so dedicated, can't they?

well, my goldies must like the toad eggs too as none visable in the pond the next day after I took a pailful out of the pond & I know MANY were still left in the pond. No tiny tadpoles in the pond a few days later either but the pailful was swarming with the little critters! I called rescue organizations & they all laughed (!?) & said to call Fish & Game. Well, Fish & Game said to dump the pail of little ones back in the pond for the goldfish to eat!!! I guess I will just let them develop & then place them in the gardens but Fish & Game said birds will eat them when they are small. Oh, now I wish I had not let the eggs hatch as that would have been the most humane thing to do... but now it is too late! A toad is a live creature & guess I may be silly but.. I can't see not trying now to get them to adult stage since I was responsible for letting them hatch! Since toads lay their eggs in ponds, how do they get out when they develop past tadpole stage... jump out? Don't think they could jump out of the pond though as the lip is rather high.

**** UPDATE **** The 5th egg finally hatched at 8:15PM which was 12 hours after it first started. I truly thought the little guy was going to die and wondered how and/or when the parents would take the dead bird out of the nest. However, I continued to watch and sure enough I saw the little guy give it super effort and he started cracking the shell. When the mother bird came into the nest it appeared as though she was actually surprised. She pecked one of the other hatchlings to get him out of the way. In a way it was pretty amusing watching this mother try to get 4 rowdy kids settled down so the 5th one could actually raise his weak little head. In just one day of eating non-stop those other 4 look huge compared to this little guy. Hopefully he will be able to get his share of the food as it comes in. What a happy day!!! Judy

Donna, isin't it amazing all the worries our Blues bring us? The first nesting we worry about cold the second we worry about hot! We worry about HOSPS HOWRs etc. I have found you can safely take and "icee" PACK...BLUE ICE..AND PUT IT on TOP of the house..meaning the outside on the roof. Put a light colored towel over it. I did this with a thermom a few years back and it lowered the inside temp a few % over about an hour. We have all done things to keep the heat off. Does anybody have the fun pic of the big yellow smiley umbrella from a few years back? We do such crazy things! You will be seeing all sorts of stuff show up in the next few weeks, tin foil, styrafome...you name it we try it..I like the icee with a towel because it is slow and you can remove it with ease. I think we do these thing more for our comfort...as long as the box is vented and is not facing the sun all day they are usually just fine.