My chain just broke and fell off while giving a closer look at the chain I noticed that there were many places that it was cracked. Why is it cracked in so many places?

 

Years ago when I owned a Polaris Sportsman with 3 different chains, I was told to spray the chains after each ride with a special dry lube the dealer sold. Never had one crack, but they did wear out after a while, even with the lube.