Chicken bones are so small that you can get full extraction without needing to hack them up. Most of the contribution that bones make to broth comes from their collagen, not from the marrow. Bones add "body" or gelatin to the final stock. Marrow is largely fat and doesn't contribute much in the way of flavor. If you've ever made a stock with only bones (and no meat or skin) then you'll know where the flavor is. And it ain't in the bones.
1 hour ago, HungryChris said:I have often wondered if I roasted the bones in the oven first, how the stock would be.
Good lord, man... roast those bones! Bone roasting is the difference between lighter, "blonde" chicken stock and the darker, richer roasted chicken stock. They're not really the same product, but I almost never make blonde chicken stock because I prefer the taste from roasted bones. I also find that pre-roasting the bones mostly eliminates the need to blanch and rinse the bones first.
