Hi all - I'm looking for advice on some breeds that might work for my situation and hopefully some pointers toward breeders or other sources in the New England area. We're on ~14 acres and currently have no livestock, but will be bringing in ducks this year and then goats short-term (up to 2 years), eventually bringing in sheep/pigs/chickens/dexter cows over the years. Since we're looking at needing people protection just as much as livestock protection, will be having mainly tasty looking ducks to start with, don't enjoy listening to our dogs bark at mouse farts, and the property is a little small for a wanderer like Great Pyrenees, what breeds would you suggest for us? Also, we don't have many visitors, but would prefer that the dog doesn't attack strangers without good reason and plenty of warning. Our relative lack of experience in raising LGDs is also a concern so a smart dog that easily "gets" what the job entails would be a huge plus.
Oh, being in central Maine and needing this protection year-round, the dog will definitely need to be able to handle chilly temps and inclement weather, so a decent coat is important. There will be protection from the elements provided, along with regular meals and a good amount of love/attention (possibly too much, but that's another thread!), but an LGD doesn't sleep in the house on your feet at night
Two breeds I've been looking at:
Akbash
Should do well with smaller "livestock" like ducks as long as he doesn't go hungry

Also generally good about not attacking strangers out of hand. They're said to be fairly quiet unless there's reason to raise alarm. What I don't know about these guys is their tendency on wandering. Are they good about sticking to their assigned handful of acres and not taking casual jaunts to the next town over?
American Eskimo
Smart enough to learn multiple jobs including guarding and herding while not having any birding breed background that might trigger an unexpected overnight duck hunt. They're said to be very loyal dogs that are always looking to please, which is a huge plus in training. There will be plenty of additional jobs we could use a hand (or paw) with including simple, almost silly things like carrying water and/or tools when we're out working. An Eskie will likely become more of a guardian for his people than an Akbash or other true LGD, but that job slot is certainly open around here and filling it would be very welcome.
Any others I'm missing that might work better for our situation and expectations?
I've searched the web a bit, sent out some feelers (emails) and scoped the local classified type listings, but there's definitely a "hidden world" when it comes to these types of dogs (and those being bred for these types of jobs). We're also not rich and looking for show-quality dogs - we only truly care that 1) he keeps the coyotes and foxes away at night, 2) he doesn't eat the ducks and goats when we're not looking, and 3) we don't get a call from 30 miles away that our dog took a nature hike and he wants a ride home. Any tips or suggestions on finding a breeder or other source would be very helpful and welcome.