How many of ya'll actually do this with your chicks?

[conny63malies]

I had my last one in almost 36 hours , but i had little spicelids in there with food and water, the brooder wasnt ready.

 

[PoultryPedia]

If you decide to open the incubator during hatch, you can help restore humidity more quickly by having a cup of hot water and small strips of paper towel ready beside the incubator just beforehand. When you open the 'bator, dip each paper towel piece in the hot water and place it somewhere in the bator where it doesn't touch eggs.
The increased amount of moist surface area in the bator will help increase evaporation rate for a little while to restore humidity, but paper towels dry up soon enough that the evaporation rate will drop back to normal by the time humidity has reached optimum level again.
I am only confident about doing this in circulated (not still) air incubator. I'd be concerned that still air bator would be slower to recover optimal temp and humidity.
Best wishes to all hatchers!

 

[Barnyard]

I let mine fluff up and then they come out. The only time I leave them longer is if they had a hard time hatching....