Raddling the tups

Regular readers will know that I sometimes 'treat' you to obscure goat- related information. This title refers to something less obscure about sheep.
Walking round Buttermere we saw a lot of sheep activity. When we got nearer we found the explanation: the farmer was rounding up the sheep, raddling the tups and then letting them go.
Tups (rams) are raddled (coated with a coloured paint) so that the farmer can tell which sheep were served (mated) by which tup and when if the colour of the raddle is changed every so often.
Admirers of Thomas Hardy will remember Diggory Venn, the reddle man - reddle/raddle same idea!