ABSTRACT Animal welfare is essential for livestock yield gains, which has been ethically justifiable and socially acceptable. Thus, our research aimed to test computational fluid dynamics model (CFD) to simulate heated air within a poultry barn. Data were simulated in CFD software based on Navier-Stokes equations (geometry of 3 m x 6 m, considering a symmetric mesh). As boundary conditions, a temperature of 38ºC was considered for walls where heating pipe outlets are, to the west side, besides a heat flow of zero, in symmetry to the same side. As for the sides east, south and north, walls were taken as isolated, i.e. heat flow equals to zero. The aviary heating system did not achieve a homogeneous temperature distribution, heat flow, heated air pressure and speed. Heated-air convection cells were spotted in the upper part of the building, being little used for thermal comfort by the birds.