If you haven't done it already, go through Henderson's Breed Chart to see "supposed" breed characteristics and then go to Feathersite to see what the breed looks like. With individual birds I don't put a lot of faith in breed characteristics but it's a place to start.
Henderson’s Breed Chart
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html
Feathersite
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens
My overall goals for the flock are:
Good temperament
One area I don't put much faith in breed.
Vigorous good health
This depends a lot more on how you manage them than breed as long as you start with good stock. In the steamy southeast you are not worried about cold-hardy. As long as you provide plenty of shade and water you can keep any breed.
Relatively rapid growth/maturity (hoping to sell my extras as started pullets/butcher spare cockerels and don't want to have to wait half a year)
On the pullets look for production breeds, not the decorative. If you are going to sell them pure breeds often sell better than a barnyard mix. On the boys, that depends on what age and size you want to butcher them.
Good egg laying
Go by Henderson's chart or just pick a production breed,
A variety of egg colors (hoping to sell eggs at farmers' markets)
Henderson's Breed Chart gives you some ideas as to what color eggs should be but don't be surprised for your birds to be off some. All Marans don't lay really dark eggs. Some "light brown" can be darker than you expect. Still, this means a variety of breeds.
Large and extra-large eggs (because small eggs don't sell well)
Again, Hendersons's chart. If you hatch eggs, only hatch the larger ones.
Colors and patterns I find attractive (black, white, and black and white -- absolutely no red)
Picky, picky, picky aren't you.
This is in your control but limits your choice. If you somehow get a red bird, eat it. don't allow it to breed.
Other factors:
I like feathered feet
Feathered feet is a dominant trait so get a rooster from a feather-footed breed. After a few generations you will get chicks with and without feathered feet so make feathered feet one of your criteria for selecting which ones get to breed. Or keep a rooster from a hen that has feathered feet for breeding. The more criteria you have the more you limit your choices.
Not too flighty -- they won't free range but will be in an open pen
I personally don't trust breed description too much on this one but believe it to be more of an individual thing. Still, Henderson talks about this. I think you can manage them not flying out more by what your fence looks like than by breed.
I will probably be ordering from Ideal and/or Cackle
I'm not going to look through their site to see what they offer. That's your job.
My thought is to follow advice often given here by raising a number of straight-run chicks and select the cockerel(s) I like best out of the bunch.
I don't trust straight run, not after I got 7 pullets from Cackle on an order of 7 straight run Buff Orps. Now, if I want boys I order boys. If I want girls I order girls. But yes, I order enough to select the best for breeding.
You can try this approach and trust to luck for breeding options. I don't know ho w many total you plan to order, the more per breed the better your selections.
Delaware, Australorp, and Marans should be good choices. Not all Marans have feathered feet but many do. Those Cackle Ameraucana may be your only good option for blue or green eggs. I don't know how big of an egg their Ameraucana lay and you may be disappointed in the size of the boys at butcher time.
Leghorns lay large white eggs but are not going to make you happy with how big the boys are at butcher time. White eggs do really make an egg basket brighter though. Look through Henderson;s chart and see if those hatcheries offer a choice that suits you.
I personally don't have anything against Wyandottes but it sounds like you do. I'd consider Light Sussex and a Rock that meets your color criteria (Black, White, or Barred). If you can find a Naked Neck that meets your color criteria I'd consider it a good choice but some people are put off by that bare neck. I think a Chantecler might come in a color you'd like (white). Off the top of my head I can't think of any other breed that suits you but I'd look for a Mediterranean breed and see if Cackle or Ideal have it.
The only ones I've raised in your colors are Delaware, Black Australorp, and Ameraucana. I've raised Rocks and Sussex but different colors. As far as I'm concerned colors are only feathers. They have nothing to do with breed.
