I actually just responded to your other thread and as I stated there, I would personally go with the Silver Laced Wyandotte among the Wyandottes. In my personal opinion, they are the prettiest of the Wyandottes (probably one of the reasons that they are the best selling Wyandotte variety), and you can use the SLW hens to breed Red Sex Links, which are laying machines, should you ever decide to do so. I've raised most of the breeds on your list over the past 50 years and here is my input on the ones that I've raised.
Wyandottes: Very cold hardy, their rose combs are virtually impervious to frost bite, generally docile although on occasion I've had an aggressive one, good layers (typically around 4 brown eggs per hen per week).
Chocolate or Black Orpington: I haven't raised these two color varieties but I have raised Orpingtons and they are very cold hardy, calm and gentle (my children and granddaughter made lap pets of them), and good layers of large brown eggs.
Salmon Faverolles: I haven't personally raised them but a good friend and neighbor of mine loves them (his favorite breed), they are very calm and gentle (his children made lap pets of his SFs), and good layers of brown eggs (3-4 per hen per week).
Welsummers: Cold hardy, generally docile but sometimes a bit flighty, good layers of very dark brown eggs (3-4 eggs per hen per week), in my personal opinion the chocolate eggs of the Welsummers (as well as the Marans and Barnevelders) are the prettiest eggs in the chicken world
Barnevelder: Cold hardy, generally docile, decent layers of very dark brown eggs ( around 3 per hen per week), in my personal opinion the chocolate eggs of the Barnevelders (as well as the Marans and Welsummers) are the prettiest eggs in the chicken world
Wheaten Marans: Haven't had the Wheatons, just the Cuckoo and Black Copper but they are fairly cold hardy, generally pretty docile but can tend toward flightiness, decent layers of very dark brown eggs ( around 3 per hen per week), in my personal opinion the chocolate eggs of the Marans (as well as the Barnevelders and Welsummers) are the prettiest eggs in the chicken world
Silkie: Fairly cold hardy, the best temperament of any breed--sweet, gentle, calm, and friendly (my children loved to carry them around), not good layers and the eggs are small but they are the best brooders and mothers
Brahma (Dark, Gold, Lemon Pyle): I haven't had the Gold of Lemon Pyle, only the Dark, Light, and Buff, but Brahmas are very cold hardy, their pea combs are virtually impervious to frost bite, they are calm and gentle giants (my children made lap pets or them), and good layers of brown eggs (4 eggs per week per hen)
And a variety of hybrid hens - Rhode Star, Amber Star, Black Rhode, Bluebelle, Calder Ranger, Daisybelle, Speckled Star, Sussex Star, White Star, Buff Barred and Partridge: I've had a large variety of hybrids over the years but personally I don't think any of these on your list can match the Black and Red Sex Links (actually the exception may be Black Rhode which I believe is an UK label for Black Sex Links). To me the primary reason for raising hybrids is for their laying ability, and Black and Red Sex Links are the best brown egg layers in the world, consistently churning out 6 (sometimes 7) eggs per hen per week. I have been especially impressed with the Black Sex Links hardiness, friendliness, and ability to churn out eggs even in the coldest winter weather but I don't think you can go wrong with either sex link variety. Black Sex Links are also marketed under the labels Black Star, Bovans Nera, Black Rock, and likely Black Rhode; and Red Sex Links are marketed under a lot of labels including Red Star, Brown Sex Link, Gold Sex Link, Gold Star, Golden Comet, Golden Buff, Cinnamon Queen, Bovans Brown, Isa Brown, Red Shaver, Brown Shaver, Babcock Brown, Warrens, Bovans Goldline, etc.
For me personally, the two main factors in the breeds I would choose are laying ability and good temperament, so if I had to narrow my flock down to five birds on your list, I would personally go with Chocolate Orpingtons, Salmon Faverolles, Dark Brahmas, Silver Laced Wyandottes, and Black Sex Links (for my hybrid).
