Brooder-raised keets are typically much easier predator snacks than those that have been raised by a Momma Guinea Hen or Broody. Their survival instincts and awareness of danger are all much slower to kick in than for keets that have been taught by a Momma Hen. With there being only 5 of them in your flock there's not very many eyes and ears there to watch each other's backs... and your 5 can become 1 really quick. Guineas do not like change and usually take a while to get used to new situations. Once they walk out of their coop everything looks completely different to them and confuses them, they are spooked and leery of everything. Even by how the coop looks to them from the outside, so without some conditioning/training they may not go back in on their own and just bed down in the grass, or not get up high enough to roost where it's safe. They can't see in the dark so they will just stay where they are once the sun goes down... making them exceptionally easy prey for a hungry predator.
I don't let my keets out to free range until they are at least 12 wks old, sometimes even at 16 wks old after they've been in a coop/covered run set up for at least 6 wks... after I have worked with them enough and trust that they will come to the coop for food/treats when I call them and I can calmly herd them around their pen without too much of a scattered bird fiasco. I make a consistent routine of giving them treats in the coop each evening at approximately the same time and always using the same call over and over every time I give them food or treats (so that they associate that call with food/treats in the coop).
There's more than one way to deal with teaching them to coop up each evening, but this method works well for me because I free range my birds during the day only and need to be able to coop them each night to avoid predator loss. Mainly tho I wait until they are 12-16 wks because they are a little smarter by that age, more agile/alert, instinct has had some time to kick in, and it also gives them 6+ wks to get used to their coop/pen/surrounding area and all of the normal sights and sounds of my property before I start letting them out. And once I do start letting them out I keep an eye on them and herd or call them back if they stray too far, and as I mentioned I coop them up each evening consistently (before it gets dark), making it a routine. Guineas like routine... and if you can create one for them then usually they won't create one of their own that leads to their demise.
Every flock, situation/set-up, property and predator load differs, but waiting until they are at least 12 wks old is what works best for me.
