Mixing same age chickens

[angelnina]

I bought and raised 4 chickens this year. A month or so ago, I purchased two more pullets. After quarantine time, I added them to the coop with a wire wall between them and my 4 other chickens (3 pullets and 1 roo). By the way, all of the chickens are the same age and mostly same size now, except the roo, which is larger than all of them.

I tried to mix them, but my original flock attacks them and the two newer pullets go back in on their side and fly up high in the coop and that is where they stay all day long. No dust baths, no scraps (other than what I can throw up on that perch). My original pullets go in on the new pullets side and patrol below them from time to time.

They are all 4 1/2 months old.

Question-
Do you think I should force them off the perch (it's a slanted flat board perch) and put them together in the pen and let mine go at them until their pecking order is established or let them work it out, stay up high in the coop, and choose when they want to come down and get pecked on? It's been going on for over a week.

Oh, and I can't free range them yet, as I have a backyard coop and they fly over the fence when loose. I can't keep being the crazy chicken lady chasing chickens all over the neighborhood, and there is a big dog behind one of those fences.
I want to clip wings to prevent chaos, but I want the new pullets to be able to fly up high away from my original flock.

 

[shareneh]

I had to introduce one pullet into the flock at around the same age. The other hens were mean to her at first and she ran around like she was insane. I made a place for her to hide and she used that for a time. After a couple of days she came out and now she eats with the other chicks but is still the lowest in status among them. Just be patient. The birds will work it out eventually.

 

[angelnina]

Thank you! It's nice to hear somebody has been there and it worked out.
I really do hope they will work it out.

How did you make a place for her to hide? I can use all the help I can get

It's so darn hard to watch them attack the two new girls. I opened it up, let them hide up high, and I walked away. I don't know what else to do. "Life with Chickens" eh?