Abstract: An automatic livestock head splitter is provided which serves to sever the skull of a butchered hog without damaging the brain or the pituitary gland of the hog. The head splitter preferably includes a frame, a circular blade rotatably carried by the frame having a peripheral cutting edge that includes a plurality of notches, a plurality of platens moveably supported by the frame and connected together in serial order, a prime mover for rotating the blade and advancing the platens into a cutting position relative to the blade, and a coupling power drive for connecting the prime mover, blade and platens for rotation of the blade in synchronism with the movement of the platens. The platens are configured for rigidly carrying a butchered and trimmed hog's head and are advanced along the frame by a sprocketed drive wheel.