This experiment was conducted to study the effects of feeding level and photoperiod on growth, nutrient digestibility and liver leptin receptor (Ob-R) gene expression of growing layers. A 2×2 two-factor experiment was used in this experiment, the one factor was photoperiod (8L:16D and 12L:12D), and the other factor was feeding level[ad libitum feeding and limited feeding (80% of ad libitum feeding)]. A total of 320 10-week-old healthy Hy-Line Grey growing layers were selected and randomly allotted to 4 groups with 4 replicates in each group and 20 hens in each replicate. The experiment was carried from 10 to 18 weeks of age; the body weight, and abdominal fat weight were measured, and the blood and liver samples were collected to analyze relative indices at 14 and 18 weeks of age. The results showed as follows: the body weight at 14 weeks of age and abdominal fat weight at 18 weeks of age in ad libitum feeding group were significantly higher than those in limited feeding group (P<0.05). The dry matter digestibility in short photoperiod (8L:16D) group was significantly higher than that in long photoperiod (12L:12D) group (P<0.01), and the ether extract digestibility in limited feeding group was significantly higher than that in ad libitum feeding group (P<0.05). The liver Ob-R gene relative expression level at 14 and 18 weeks of age in short photoperiod group was significantly lower than that in long photoperiod group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the liver Ob-R gene relative expression level at 14 weeks of age in limited feeding group was significantly lower than that in ad libitum feeding group (P<0.05). The feeding level and photoperiod had no significant interaction effects on body weight, abdominal fat weight, serum glucose and triglyceride contents, and liver Ob-R gene relative expression level of growing layers at 14 and 18 weeks of age (P>0.05), and also had no significant interaction effect on nutrient digestibility of growing layers (P>0.05). The results indicate that limited feeding can decrease the abdominal fat weight at 18 weeks of age and liver Ob-R gene relative expression level at 14 weeks of age, and improve the ether extract digestibility of growing layers; short photoperiod (8L:16D) can decrease the liver Ob-R gene relative expression level at 14 and 18 weeks of age, and improve the dry matter digestibility of growing layers; there are no interaction effects on all measured indices of this experiment between feeding level and photoperiod.