12 week old quail won't start laying

[Jaysquails]

Hi guys There is about 13 hours of daylight and fairly warm weather. My quails are eating turkey crumbs with a quail mix and grit and calcium supliments etc. They live in a rabbit hutch about 5ft long. However they spend most there day inside the shaded part so they do not get much light. Is this normal? Is this what is affecting them if so how do I get them to come out more. They only come out for food and a drink

 

[DK newbie]

Give them time. The eggs will start coming, as long as they are not stressed (make sure there is no more than 1 male in the enclosure and that there is no picking or over breeding going on) and get enough light. 13 hours is a little on the low end - 14+ is recommended - so the days might need to get a bit longer first. I wouldn't worry too much about them spending their time in the shaded part, but you could try to make the rest of the enclosure more interesting with a dust bath, places to hide and such.