Coturnix quail do not need direct sunlight, but they do need at least 14-16 hours of light per day.
They usually start breeding at about the same age as they start laying, but I wouldn't set any eggs until they've been laying for a couple weeks.
The best thing to encourage egg laying is to...
Coturnix quail generally start laying at about 6 weeks of age. This can vary depending on stress levels, amount of light they're getting per day, and male to female ratio.
Bobwhites are seasonal layers and usually lay in late spring to early summer if I'm remembering correctly (@007Sean ?).