Dried grass or legumes used as animal feed. The kanji 乾芻 is rare; the word is usually written in kana.
We stored hay for the cows in preparation for winter.
Katakana spelling, often used in agricultural or technical contexts.
From Chinese 乾芻 (gānchú), literally 'dry hay'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning.