Okay, a bit of an update.
I cracked a few more eggs from the pen he is in open and to my dismay, none were fertile.
Not so with the other roos with their hens.
His "technique" is to jump on the hen's back and (how to phrase this?
) try to do the deed on their backs and not their vents.
I suspect the fact he was low roo on the totem pole for a year might have to do with his lack of practice. He is now top roo in this pen. He may be having problems with the hens' tails (not kidding!). The girls were literally run ragged by the last roo before he went to freezer camp.
Even with these oddities, I noticed that one of the chicks from the RIR hens is half EE (he's my only EE roo). So, I know he can produce. The EE girls are being difficult.
He has plenty of light. I keep the light on 24/7 so he's good. Not fat at all. Just dreadfully inept.
I may have to bring in my EE mix cockerel who is drop-dead gorgeous but still not ready for prime time.
Suggestions?