New chickens and old chickens not getting along

[SHD7]

Hi All,
I think I messed up big and I'm worried about if I did damage to my flock.

Last Saturday I picked up two new hens (Lucy and Ethel). They are 17 weeks old.
I brought them home and left them in the kennel I brought them home in for a little bit but not overly close to the coop. I was trying to let them settle from the ride home. I then took them and put them in with my existing chickens. My existing chickens consisted of 2 hens and 1 rooster (Stella, Gertrude and Wilbert).
Stella made it very clear from the beginning that she is the mother hen. She would chase them and peck them. She wouldn't let them near the food or water. Gertrude seemed to friend them and didn't care if they laid next to her but over the last couple days she will chase them and peck at them. She sometimes even grabs them by the feathers on their neck and pulls.
Lucy and Ethel are currently held up in what we call the apartment. It is the area with the laying boxes and provides shelter and such in the winter. Every so often Stella will run up and chase them out. Since Stella has been picky about letting them near the water and food I've been place water and food in the apartment for them and monitoring them to make sure they are eating and drinking.
In the evening Lucy and Ethel will come out and sit on a roost to sleep but usually by themselves. Stella, Gertrude and Wilbert are often on the other roost.

Lucy and Ethel are about the same height as Stella and Gertrude but they aren't as chubby. They don't seem to defend themselves when getting pecked by Stella and Gertrude.

After doing some reading I realize I should have blocked them off a bit but made it so they could see each other and get use to each other....
It's been a week now and they are still hiding in the apartment and Stella and Gertrude are still picking on them. Wilbert will get in the middle of it and break it up every so often but for the most part he leaves it to them.

I do understand that pecking order has to be established... I don't like it... I don't like them pecking the new chickens. Lucy and Ethel are absolutely terrified.
Is there anything I can do to help make this better for Lucy and Ethel or to help them get along?
I am a sucker for animals and my heart breaks seeing Lucy and Ethel getting picked on even though everyone tells me this has to happen and if I intervene it will just prolong it.

Help! Is there anything I can do to make the situation better?

Thanks all
Sheila

 

[junebuggena]

It's very normal behavior. Chickens do not like changes of any kind. You have just upset your flocks' entire social structure by adding two new birds. It will take time for things to settle down and for the new girls to be accepted into the flock. In the mean time, make sure everyone has lots, and lots of space; and have multiple food and water stations available. As long as nobody is getting seriously injured (a few feathers getting pulled out doesn't count), leave them to it.

 

[SHD7]

Thank you Junebuggena,
I feel awful for Lucy and Ethel. They are so terrified. All of my hens have their beaks snipped so they are nubbed instead of pointed. They aren't drawing blood. I just don't understand why the new ones aren't standing up for themselves. How long does it normally (rough guess) take for them to get accepted into the flock?
Thank you
Sheila

 

[junebuggena]

It really all depends on the birds. Sometimes it only takes a few days, sometimes it can take over a month.

 

[aggiemae]

I have found that adding a larger number of new hens that there are in the existing flock all at once seems to reduce the fighting and fussing. It takes a while to establish a new pecking order, as long as there isn't any bleeding I let them work it out.

If you are able to they separating the most aggressive (boss) hen for a few days and let the rest work it out then reintroduce her. If you don't have a set up of this stick her in a crate in the chicken yard.