Best time to introduce young pullets?

[ScotianChick]

My flock is not quite a year old... they were born the end of April. I have new chicks that were born between February 16 - 19th. So they're four weeks old. Anyway I am wondering when I can introduce them to the flock. I don't have a grown rooster right now so no need to fear that sort of thing. My original flock has 2 Rhode Island Reds and 3 Silverlaced Wyandottes. My new babies are 5 female red sex links and 1 male red sex link (who is white and black and gorgeous).

I brought the oldest and strongest outside to sit in the grass with me the other day. I put down some scratch for her to peck at. My most gentle chicken came over and starting pecking in front of her and she got the picture. I thought it was oh so cute when my "gentle" chicken pecked my little chick! I was so angry! So now I need to know when I can introduce them and have them not be killed by the others!!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Gets asked a lot here. Others may have different results, but here's mine, FWIW.

No way little ones can be thrown to the fray against full grown hens. Not until they match them in size and weight or it is simply not a fair fight. They'll get trashed. Even when evenly matched, it can take quite a scuffle to sort out the chicken politics.

 

[ScotianChick]

I've been thinking about this and worrying about this a lot lately.

Here's a thought. I was thinking of making them their own coop and run and keeping them in it. Once they are big enough, I can let them free range and mingle with the other chickens and then go back to their own coops at night. Does that sound like it would work?